You'll never know
by fairy666tale
Summary: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Also contains the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka.
1. preview

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

I'm sorry for any spelling errors, English isn't my main language. *has just spend five minutes looking up how to write the word "language"*

RATED: M, for what might come in the following chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**This is just a preview. I'm already working on the first chapter :D**

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You'll never know.

It seemed to get harder every morning. As soon as he woke, this sharp pain inside seemed to shred him to pieces. The first thought, the first memory was also the same every morning. To the others, he kept up his happy smile, but when he woke alone in his room, there wasn't anything to shield him from this unbearable sadness.

Well, whether he wanted to or not, he had to get up. Sleepily pushing his long, purple hair out of his beautiful, doll like face, he sat up. The sun was already just visible above the trees in the distance, shining bright orange and red, making the sky look like it was on fire. It was something he always had rather enjoyed to watch. Since what happened, since Ruka and Yuda escaped from Hell and started to try and destroy Heaven, he hadn't been able to enjoy anything at all. The person he wanted to share it with the most was gone, so why would he?

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**Wow, this is shorter than I thought... sorry. Will upload the whole first chapter tommorrow or the day after.**

**Don't worry, not the whole story will sound so gloomy ;)**


	2. Part I: 1

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might come after this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**Ok… not too much action to be expected in this chapter, but the next ones will be more interesting. This one is meant more to show how Rei is feeling about Ruka turning evil.**

**Please enjoy :D**

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You'll never know.

It seemed to get harder every morning. As soon as he woke, this sharp pain inside seemed to shred him to pieces. The first thought, the first memory was also the same every morning. To the others, he kept up his happy smile, but when he woke alone in his room, there wasn't anything to shield him from this unbearable sadness.

Well, whether he wanted to or not, he had to get up. Sleepily pushing his long, purple hair out of his beautiful, doll like face, he sat up. The sun was already just visible above the trees in the distance, shining bright orange and red, making the sky look like it was on fire. It was something he always had rather enjoyed to watch. Since what happened, since Ruka and Yuda escaped from Hell and started to try and destroy Heaven, he hadn't been able to enjoy anything at all. The person he wanted to share it with the most was gone, so why would he?

Reluctantly, he got out of bed and changed clothes. Time to go and make breakfast for everyone. There had been reports about demons attacking humans again, so this would be a busy day. Better to not make his friends face that on an empty stomach. He knew that, despite the fact he was great at cooking, he probably wouldn't eat a lot. It wasn't that he didn't like his own cooking. He just hadn't been hungry for the past time.

"Geez, I have to get out of this depression," he sighed. Yeah, but that was easier said than done. Even Shin wasn't that devastated by Yuda's betrayal. Then why couldn't he just face the fact that Ruka betrayed him?

So deep into his own thoughts that he hadn't even noticed him standing there, he walked past Shin. A bit startled, he looked up when someone laid a hand on his shoulder. "Shin. G-good morning."

"Good morning, Rei." His friend smiled at him. "You looked tired last evening, so I thought I could help you making breakfast. Can I?"

"Sure, thanks." With some effort, he managed to smile back. "I was thinking of making pancakes this morning. You can set the table, if you don't mind."

"Okay." Silently, they walked to the kitchen. "Rei? Are you all right? You've been seeming a bit down lately."

"I'm fine. I've just been a bit too busy, that's all." Actually, he could never be busy enough. At least then, he wouldn't have time to think about anything. But he didn't want his friend to worry about him. Shin was probably also missing Yuda, the same way Rei missed Ruka. It wouldn't be fair to make him worry, so Rei kept his true feelings to himself. He sighed softly, trying not to think of all that. Okay, let's focus on pancakes.

Almost automatically, Rei started making the pancake batter, while Shin began to put the plates and glasses on the dining table. Outside, birds were also starting to wake up, chirping happily when Rei threw a cooled down pancake outside. Might as well feed the birds, while he was already baking. Their enthusiastic way of eating made him smile a little, like it always did.

"Do you think this will be enough?" he asked Shin, when he had done twenty pancakes, all piled up on a plate.

"Sure. I'll go tell the others breakfast is ready," Shin said, already walking out of the kitchen. Rei only nodded and sat down on one of the chairs around the table. Outside, the birds were still chirping, so that would help him to stay cheered up a little. He really didn't want to worry anyone. And he knew the half angel Kira would probably bully him with it, and he knew he couldn't take that. Either he would break down, or he would kill the blonde.

Sure, Gai would tease him too, often enough, but still that was different. He wasn't sure how, but it just felt different. He enjoyed arguing with the smaller angel now and then, but he never enjoyed Kira's pranks. He sighed. Well, Kira had been bullying him since they were just young angels. It had started as just teasing, but it had turned to real bullying really quick. While what Gai did truly was only teasing. It would still annoy him at times, but the smaller angel knew when to stop, while Kira didn't care how Rei felt.

"Rei?" he heard someone saying. With a shock he realized Goh had been talking to him for a few minutes already. "Are you okay?"

He forced a mile. "Yeah, just not completely awake yet."

"Had bad dreams?" Goh looked at him slightly worried. "You look a bit pale."

"Really, I'm fine." Quickly, Rei started eating, so Goh wouldn't keep on asking. Couldn't they just leave him be? He had to admit it felt good to know his friends cared about him, but right now, he just didn't want to talk about it. Or even think about it. So if they wouldn't ask anything, he'd probably feel better.

Everyone was chattering and eating, so soon no one seemed to notice how quiet Rei was. Good. Silently he finished eating his pancake, but didn't feel hungry for another one. They tasted good, though. Sweet, and not too thick. Cooking was something he really loved, so what he made always tasted good. Even Kira seemed to like it, though he knew the half angel would never say that to him. Kira's younger brother Maya, though, was chatting along happily, as always. Rei had always thought it was amazing, for such an unfriendly person, to have such a sweet little brother.

"Rei, can I help with dishwashing?" Shin offered.

"If you're not too busy." He hoped a little Shin had only offered it out of politeness, and would have something better to do."

"We'd better leave as soon as possible for that village from the report, so if we do the dishes together, it'll be quicker."

"Okay." So he had no choice. "Thanks."

The rest of the angels left, while Rei and Shin started clearing the table. It took them just a few minutes, and during the dishwashing, Shin asked the one thing Rei really didn't want to hear. "Do you miss Ruka that badly?"

Rei stiffened a bit, trying to come up with an answer. "Don't you miss Yuda?"

"I do." A sad smile appeared on Shin's face. "But… there's nothing I can do to help him, but to stop him. As long as he's doing what he's doing right now, he isn't the angel I became friends with."

Rei bit on his lower lip, trying to control his emotions. "Well… I guess you're right. It's just so hard to accept."

Shin sighed. "It is indeed. Just… try to take care of yourself, even if you feel bad."

Refusing to look at his friend, Rei stared at the porcelain plate he was holding. "I know."

"Then why don't you…"

"I'm fine, okay?" Rei hissed, begging his friend to stop asking.

"But…"

"I said I'm fine!" Rei snapped, feeling guilty when he saw the hurt expression on Shin's face. "S-sorry. I haven't slept too well, lately. That's all."

Shin opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to change his mind. Instead, he smiled comforting at Rei. "Sorry, I shouldn't have kept on nagging. But if you ever want to talk, I'm here for you."

Finally, a true smile decorated Rei's beautiful face. "Thank you."

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**Yay!!! First chapter finished :D**

**It ended up a little too depressing about Rei's feelings, and it doesn't really have action scenes… at all… but they'll be in the next chapters, so please be patient ;)**

**Next chapter will be finished in a few days. And I'll try to make it longer than this one.**


	3. Part I: 2

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**I'm really bad at fighting scenes, but I tried my best at it. I hope you'll enjoy reading this :D**

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The village seemed peaceful at first sight. Small, cute little farms and houses, and a small church in the middle. Though the forest around had something threatening, rather drowning it than embracing. Rei barely looked around, but that was the one thing he noticed. It was way too threatening for some weak ghosts or demons. Could it be… Even if that would mean having to face the confrontation he was hoping so badly to avoid, he almost wished Ruka and Yuda were the ones behind this. At least he'd be able to see the white haired angel again.

"It's so quiet," Gai remarket. "Like there are no humans here."

"Strange. It's late in the morning, there should be people around working or doing the groceries." Shin looked around. "The curtains of all the houses are closed."

"Maybe there are people here after all," Goh said quietly. "Something's scaring them."

"Rei?" Shin touched Rei's slim shoulder slightly. "Could you fly above the forest, to see if you can find what caused these villagers to get so afraid?"

"Sure." Without saying anything else, Rei made his wings come out and flew off into the sky. The fresh wind on his face felt good, as always. Sighing deeply, he shut his eyes for a moment, before changing directions towards the darkest part of the forest he could see from here. From the corner of his eye, he saw his friend walking deeper into the village, trying to find any person at all. Hopefully they would find some.

Shivering, he slowed down a bit. Was it just him, or was it really getting colder? He didn't know, but he did knew he was starting to get a bad feeling about that dark spot. Something was hiding there. Something that scared the people. Something dangerous. But… strangely familiar. Though he didn't see anything but trees down there, he just felt there were other beings down there. If he wanted to meet them, well, that was an entirely different question. But he had no choice. This was his job as a Saint Beast, so he reluctantly dived down through the trees, landing carefully on the dead leaves, piling up on the ground.

This explained why it seemed darker here than in the rest of the forest. It was mid-summer. All the leaves were green. Just on this spot, an unmarked circle on the ground with a diameter of about ten feet, All the trees were dead. Really dead, all the leaves lying on the ground, rotting away. Even the wood itself seemed grey and drained of all life it once must have had had. Rei felt a cold shiver run down his spine. This was wrong. Whatever had caused this, whatever had called the demons to appear on Earth, is was strong. A lot stronger than he himself was. Feeling the sudden urge to get away from here as fast as he possibly could, he turned around.

Behind them they were crawling towards him, fangs bared. Dullish grey skin, but fierce red eyes. These demons weren't here to just watch what Rei was doing in this place. Just in time to dodge the first attack, Rei jumped away. Two others came at him, one of them tearing the skin of Rei's left arm. He winced as he felt the pain and blood. Wasn't there any way to call for his friends? Couldn't he do anything by himself? Ruka would have defeated these monsters in an instant.

Refusing to cry out for help, Rei used all the power he had in him, to fire one big blow at the demons. About half of them blew up in a sickening splash of black blood. Most of the others ran off immediately, only two of them launched one final attack at Rei, before following the others. To tired do dodge, Rei felt their claws ripping apart his shirt and scratching his upper body. Panting, he sank to his knees, trying to get calm. They were gone. He was save for now. And he had to get his friends to check out this place, for it definitely was too dangerous to do that alone. Whatever was hidden here, the demons didn't want anyone to find out.

His heart still beating rapidly, he flew off, trying hard to ignore the pain in his arm. Luckily, he immediately saw his friend walking around the empty streets of the village. While he was landing, he saw his own blood dripping on the ground, causing Shin to look up. Suddenly, everything went blurry and he felt his wings withdrawing. Begging for someone to catch him, he closed his eyes. In a second, he reopened them, feeling warm arms holding him.

"Rei?" Goh asked worriedly. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine…" he mumbled, a little embarrassed for fainting. "I ran into some demons. I thing they were trying to prevent me from finding anything there."

"Where?" Gai asked, while Shin carefully examined Rei's arm.

"A spot in the forest, where all trees are dead," Rei replied. "Err, Goh? Thanks for catching me. Could you put me down now?"

"Oh, sure." Gently, Goh put him back on his feet. Rei staggered a bit, but felt he wasn't dizzy anymore. Just exhausted from using so much of his power. Shin took some bandages out of his pocket and tied them around Rei's hurt arm.

"The wound is pretty deep. Let's hope it won't get infected." Shin looked at him, still holding his arm. "Can you walk back home?"

Rei nodded. "But what about that place in the forest? Shouldn't we go check it out as soon as possible?" He didn't want them to just go back without solving anything, only because he got hurt. That would make him feel even more useless.

"Yeah, we have to help the people here!" Gai said. "They don't even dare to look out of their windows!"

"Rei, you sure you can go on?" Goh asked.

"Yes." Probably.

"But if you get too tired, we'll go back," Shin said. "Don't force yourself."

Rei tried to smile reassuringly. "I won't. But… I don't know if I can find the dark spot from the ground." But was too tired to fly again. "I think it was in that direction." He pointed at the forest south from the village. His friends followed him silently. Now he was on the ground, he could hear something strange inside the forest. Or actually, the strange thing was, that he didn't hear anything at all. It was dead quiet here, not even the sound of birds. Only a faint, dry sound of wind blowing through the leaves. It felt so unnatural, and he knew his friends felt the same. None of them liked this.

"What happened to all the animals?" Gai asked, sounding nervous.

"I think they flew," Goh answered. "Don't you feel it? Something is here. Something that's not supposed to be here."

"Or… someone." It was almost a whisper, and no one but Rei heard it. He looked at Shin, who looked back at him with a silent, scared look in his eyes. Did he mean what Rei thought he had meant? Shin didn't explain his words, so they just walked on in silence, as the threatening aura of the forest seemed to grow with every step they took. Rei almost wanted to say he was too exhausted to go on, so they could go back. But this was their job. They didn't have a choice.

A cold gust of wind blew through the forest, suddenly making all the leaves crackle. Shivering again, Rei slowed down. The others didn't notice and kept on walking in the same pace. Quickly, Rei tried to keep up with them, panting. "Hey, wait up!" His friends slowed down a bit, all of them glancing at him worriedly. Why did he always have to worry people? Embarrassed about how he felt, he looked at the ground until all of them stopped walking.

"Rei? I assume this is the spot you were talking about?" Goh asked quietly.

Rei nodded. "I don't know where the demons went, so we'd better be careful." Facing those creeps again was definitely not something he was looking forward to. He didn't see them anywhere yet, though. As a matter of fact, there wasn't anything to see anywhere. Only the circle of dead trees, but nothing more. Still, they all felt something. "It's… underneath," Rei mumbled.

"There seems to be an entrance there," Gai pointed. "Under those rocks."

As he stared at the rocks, barely noticing how his friend walked closer towards it, Rei heard some barely audible noise behind them. Startled, he turned around, looking right into the eyes of one of the eight demons he hadn't killed. "They're back!" Without looking, he knew his friends had also turned back, ready to defend themselves. When he looked at how the demons were coming towards them, Rei suddenly realized they were split up in four groups of two. This would be two against one. And he knew he wasn't fit enough after the last fight to win.

As the demons attacked, growling and with their claws aimed for the bodies of the four angels, Rei got smashed to the ground. With all the power he had left, he fired at the demons standing on him, but was barely strong enough to blow them off him. Quickly he checked the situation. Gai and Shin were having little trouble keeping unharmed, Goh had already floored one of the demons attacking him. Still, they weren't save yet, so Rei would have to fight on his own. Suddenly, one of the demons attacked him from the front, directly aiming for his chest. Just in time, he jumped backwards. Right in the claws of the other one. He couldn't help but to scream when it used it's claws to pierce his shoulders, holding him in place while the first one aimed for his chest again.

There was a loud smashing sound, and the demon exploded in blood. The one behind him also died, leaving him to collapse on the ground. Lying awkwardly half on his side, half on his stomach, Rei tried to see who had saved him. Both Shin and Goh were running towards him, while Gai finished off the last demon. Quickly he stood up, trying to act like he was fine. It didn't really work. As soon as he stood, the world seemed to start spinning, and everything went blurry. He felt his knees giving in underneath him, and then everything turned from blurry to black.

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**Bit of a cliffhanger maybe. Wasn't really meant to be, but it just turned out that way. I hope the fighting scenes weren't too poorly written.**

**Next chapter will be finished in a few days, maybe as soon as tomorrow, but I can't promise. Anyway, thanks for reading :D**


	4. Part I: 3

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**Not much new about the village and the demons in this chapter, just some torturing of Rei. Don't worry, though, he'll feel better at the end of the chapter ^-^**

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"Ruka…" He heard himself whispering quietly. Maybe that's what woke him up, somehow. Still a bit dizzy, he opened his eyes and saw his friends leaning over him.

"Rei? Are you okay?" Carefully, Shin whiped Rei's long hair out of his face. "You passed out."

"S-sorry," Rei mumbled, looking around. They were still in the forest, but no longer in the circle of dead trees. A relieved sigh escaped him, but he hoped his friends hadn't heard that. Slowly, the dizziness went away and he tried to sit up. Goh immediately helped him by putting his arm around Rei's slender shoulders. Gai seemed a little jealous because of that, but didn't make a comment. Still, Rei moved away as quick as he could, to sit without support. "I think it was just the pain. I'm fine." His left arm seemed to be on fire, just like his shoulders, but he tried to ignore that. "Are all the demons gone?"

"Yeah, but since you were unconscious, we thought it would be better to get away from there. Just in case some new ones would show up," Gai said.

"We didn't get the chance to get a good look at those rocks." Goh looked at Rei's pale face. "But it might be better to go home for today."

"But the people in the village…" Rei opposed.

"They can wait another day," Gai interrupted him. "It's our job to save them, but not at the cost of your life!"

With a soft sigh, Rei looked away. Great. Because he got hurt again, the people in the village would have to live in fear even longer. He felt himself shivering, though, and knew he just didn't have the strength left for another fight. Shin laid his hand on Rei's. "Can you walk?" Rei nodded silently and let Shin help him to stand up. Despite what he had said, he felt almost too tired to even take a step. But that would make him seem even more weak.

"It's a rather long walk home," Goh said. "Just tell us if you need to take a break."

"I will," Rei promised, knowing he wouldn't. Slowly, they started walking. He noticed Shin kept walking alongside him, giving him a reassuring glance every now and then. Well, at least someone would catch him if he would pass out again. He really hoped that wouldn't happen again, but the loss of blood was starting to make him feel a little sick. Refusing to let anyone notice, he kept on walking, trying to keep his breathing even. Having passed out twice today was worse enough, he certainly wasn't going to throw up in front of his friends.

"Rei?" Shin looked at him. "You look really pale."

'I just lost about ten percent of my blood, how do you want me to look?' Rei thought, a bit annoyed. "I know," he answered quietly.

"Are you sure you can go on?" Gai asked.

"I said it already, I'm fine!" Rei snapped. "Stop worrying about me!"

"Geez, sorry!" Gai snarled. "Next time we'll just leave you there!"

Rei glared at him and Gai glared back just as angry. "Calm down, both of you," Goh said. "It'll be at least half an hour until we're home, so let's keep the peace among each other."

"Sorry," both Rei and Gai mumbled.

By the time they got home, Rei only wanted to go to bed and sleep for at least a few hours. But it was already past lunch time, so he had join his friends for lunch. After eating a small piece of bread, he excused himself and went to his room. Finally, some rest. Exhausted, he dropped down on his bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

"Ruka…"Somewhere deep inside, Rei knew he was only dreaming. But he didn't want to know. Ruka was standing right there, so close to him, on the other side of this strange hallway. "Ruka!" His friend didn't seem to hear him. "Hey, Ruka! It's me!" Still no reaction, the silver haired angel just kept standing there, staring at some point on the grey wall. Desperately wanting Ruka to notice him, Rei started running towards him. And that was when the dream started to look like every cliché nightmare. He was running and running, but he couldn't get any closer to the friend he longed for so much. In fact, Ruka seemed to be moving away from him. He didn't walk away or anything, he just stood there, but still he got further and further away from Rei. "Ruka! Come back!" He started crying. "Please! Don't leave…"

"Don't leave…" The dream disappeared and the world went black.

"Eh, are you talking to me?" Gai's voice. A startled gasp escaped Rei's lips, when he opened his eyes and saw the smaller angel leaning over him. Gai chuckled at his reaction. "Goh sent me to check up on you. But you seem fine."

Well, he didn't feel fine. But that wasn't Gai's problem. "Yeah, I'm all right." He swallowed and looked away. "I'm… sorry about yelling at you, back in the forest."

"Never mind, I deserved it for lots of other things," Gai said with an amused smile. "By the way, what's for dinner?"

"Eh, don't know yet." Usually, he knew a week beforehand what he would cook for dinner. Lately, he just ran by the nearest convenience store to quickly buy something that was easy to prepare.

"Why don't you cook chicken?" Gai teased.

"In that case, I could also cook you!" Rei yelled at him. Chickens were his friends, like all birds. He couldn't cook his friends!

"I wouldn't taste good!" Gai laughed.

"Want to try that one?" Rei threatened him, sitting up to face the smaller angel.

"No thanks," Gai grinned. "But seriously, do you still have to go shopping?"

"Yes," Rei answered suspiciously. What did Gai want this time?

"Can Maya and me come with you? We wanted to buy some candy." Gai smiled at him with eyes like a puppy's, and Rei knew what would come next. "But… neither of us has any money."

"So you just want me to pay for it." Rei sighed. "Sure."

"Thanks!" Gai jumped to his feet. "Are we going right now?"

"Okay." Slowly, Rei stood up, wincing at the pain in his arm. Gai didn't notice, luckily. Still, Rei had to admit it might be a good idea to ask Shin to help him cooking tonight. "Go get Maya, I'll wait downstairs."

Gai ran off to get his friend, and Rei walked to the front door. As soon as Gai and Maya were there too, they left for the convenience store.

Much later that night, he somehow ended up almost bumping into Kira, on his way to his room. Great, just the person he liked the most. Not. And Kira, as expected, took that chance to tease him again. "Heard you fainted twice today. Are you sure you're not some overly dramatic woman?"

"Kira, don't be mean," Rei asked quietly, but already knowing the blonde wouldn't.

"Or what?" Kira asked grinning. "You're going to cry?"

"Knock it off!"

"Bitch!"

"Shut up!" Rei tried to walk past him, but the half-angel wouldn't let him. Harshly, Kira pushed him against the wall. "Ouch!" Rei grimaced from the pain in his arm. "Bastard!"

"You shut up!" Kira snapped. Rei immediately regretted calling him a bastard. He hadn't meant anything by it, but he knew Kira and Maya both got bullied in Heaven, for being partly human. "At least I'm not left by the only person in the word who actually likes me! You're just an annoying failed man! You're even less than a bitch! No wonder Ruka doesn't come back to you!"

A sharp pain crossed his chest at those words, and he felt tears burning in his eyes. "Shut up."

"Why am I even wasting my time talking to you?" Kira stamped off to his own room, leaving Rei still standing against the wall.

Fighting back his tears, Rei ran to his room. Why did he have to say that? Why did Kira always have to hurt him? Trying desperately to calm down, he sat down on his bed, facing the window and with his back towards the door. It was already getting dark outside. The sight of the sun slowly setting was a bit relaxing, but his eyes kept burning with held back tears. Stupid Kira. What had Rei ever done to him? Why did Kira hate him so much. Was it so much fun to tease him?

"Rei?" Gai again. Rei didn't respond, not trusting his voice. "Hey, don't ignore me! Geez, sometimes you're really annoying!"

That did it. He felt tears running down his cheeks and his breathing hitched. "Go away!" He could hear his own voice trembling, and it sounded just as pathetic as he felt. He didn't turn around to look, but he could hear Gai's footsteps coming closer. What was the blonde angel planning to do? Couldn't he just leave him alone? To his surprise, he suddenly felt a warm hand on his shoulder. His injured shoulder. Gasping from pain, he tensed. Quickly, Gai withdrew.

"Sorry! I forgot about your injuries." Gai sounded uncertain. "Rei? What's wrong?"

"Just go!" A small sob came out, and he knew Gai heard it.

"Hey, are you crying?" Sounding incredulous, Gai climbed over Rei's bed until he sat next to him, and could see his face. Rei didn't even bother to look away anymore. "Rei?" Gai sounded almost scared. "Rei, why are you crying?" Rei kept sobbing pitifully, embarrassed at himself, but unable to stop. "Hey, I didn't really mean it!" Gai said quickly. "You're not that annoying! I'm sorry!"

Rei stared at him bewildered. "What?"

"I was only teasing you. I didn't mean to make you cry." Gai looked at him with a guilty look on his face. "I'm really sorry."

Rei almost smiled. "It's not your fault." He let out a trembling sigh. "Kira was bullying me again."

"You normally don't cry over that." Gai still looked guilty. "Hey, you don't think I'm ever bullying you, right?"

"No." Softly, Rei leaned against him, suddenly feeling how tired he was. "You're just teasing, and that's fun. Most of the time, at least." He sighed again. "Somehow, he just always knows how to really get to me. He… said something about Ruka. That's why I was almost crying. You just came in and said that at precisely the wrong time."

"What… did he say?" Gai asked carefully.

"Just… something I've been worrying about. It's not important." Actually, he just didn't feel like talking about it. His friendship with Gai was just not the kind in which he wanted to talk about something so painfully. Maybe he could talk about it with Shin, but he didn't want to give the blue haired angel even more to worry about. Shin already had the pain of Yuda's leaving. Goh was probably thinking about what could be going on in the village, and trying to figure out how to handle that without getting attacked by demons again. Which would explain why Gai was bothering him, instead of Goh.

"Hey, why did you came here?" he asked suddenly.

"Well, Maya is already sleeping. Apparently he and Kira have spend the entire day searching for clues where their mother could be. Goh is busy about our errand with the village." Just like Rei thought. "And Shin was reading. So, since I was bored, I thought maybe you'd know something fun to do."

"And now I'm here crying." Rei smiled faintly. "Sorry."

"Hey, I'm rather with you while you are crying, than to leave you feeling like crap all alone." Gai smiled at him. "So, are you feeling better already?"

Rei nodded sleepily. "Thanks. I think I'll go to bed now."

"You're already on the bed," Gai grinned.

Rei couldn't help but to smile. "You know what I mean."

Gai stood up. "Goodnight. And don't cry again."

"I won't." Rei looked at him thankfully. "It helped to talk a bit. Goodnight."

Obviously relieved that Rei was feeling better, Gai smiled. "Goodnight."

* * *

**I've been wanting to write the scene with Rei crying and Gai trying in his own way to comfort him for a while, so I'm glad I could make it fit into the story. It was meant as a sign of friendship between Rei and Gai, nothing more! Rei x Ruka 4 ever :3**

**Well, we didn't really find out much new about the village and the circle of dead trees, but in the next chapter we'll find out more :D **

**It'll probably take a little longer to write and upload, because of school, but it won't take more than a few days.**


	5. Part I: 4

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**Ok, I have the feeling I've made a lot of mistakes in the language and grammar of this chapter, but I hope that won't be too distracting…**

* * *

That morning, Rei woke up with a start. Somehow he had managed to toss over on his side in his sleep, and ended up lying on his hurt left arm. Moaning softly from the pain, he sat up. The sun was already shining through the window, since he forgot to close the curtains last night. That late already? He hadn't even made breakfast yet! As fast as he could, he dressed himself and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. Hopefully, his fellow angels wouldn't have been waiting for too long.

"Hey, Rei!" To his surprise, he saw Shin already setting the table. "Good morning. I thought you could use some rest, so I didn't wake you. How are your injuries?"

"Good morning. My shoulders are a lot better, but I woke myself by laying on my arm." He moved it a bit, but his whole arm seemed to be swollen and stiff. "Sorry to bother you, but could you help me again with making dinner tonight?"

"Of course," Shin said, with a friendly smile. "I talked with Goh, yesterday evening, about that circle of dead trees near the village. And we thought it'd be a good idea if he'd keep the demons at a distance, together with Gai, and we could investigate that entrance beneath the rocks that Gai saw."

So they really didn't think he could fight properly, Rei thought, a bit hurt. But Shin would go with him, so it wasn't entirely based on the lack of fighting skills. Unlike him, Shin had been able to fight off the demons attacking him. Letting out a soft sigh, Rei walked over to the kitchen cabinets, taking the bread out. He didn't really feel like baking pancakes this morning, though he could do some grilled cheese sandwiches, if his arm would let him.

Shin moved discretely closer to him, as he tried to slice a piece of cheese. He needed two hands, both holding the cheese and the knife, so he had to use his left arm. Barely able to lift it high enough to get above table height, that proved to be impossible. Blushing a bit, he looked at Shin. "Err… could you please help?" Shin, who had obviously already expected that, held the cheese, so Rei could slice it using only one hand. It might have gone faster if Shin would have done it on his own, but Rei didn't want to feel entirely useless. At least he could do the grilling of the sandwiches on his own, after Shin helped his to place a pan on the stove.

"We'll need to replace the bandages on your arm, after breakfast," Shin remarked. "It seems to have been bleeding a little." There was a small stain of red blood on the white bandages indeed, where the wound had been the deepest. Rei nodded. It would hurt, no doubt about it, but he trusted Shin to be careful. If only Yuda and Ruka where still with them. Yuda could have healed this kind of injury in the blink of an eye. By the look on Shin's face, Rei could see his friend had been thinking exactly the same. He looked more sad than Rei had ever seen him showing. Maybe Shin was also hiding his pain, just like Rei tried to do.

"Shin?" he said quietly.

"Yes?" The blue haired angel tried to look casually, but he still didn't look too happy.

"You… said before that, as long as Yuda is like he is now, he's not the angel you became friends with. But…" He swallowed. "If we'd finally get to the confrontation, could you really fight him?"

Shin looked at him, a bit stunned at the sudden question. He didn't look at Rei when he finally answered. "I… don't know. I don't know if I could fight him with my powers, but I would do anything else I could do to stop him from destroying Heaven. And… could you fight Ruka?"

Rei wanted to give just as solid an answer as Shin had, but he knew he shouldn't lie to his friend. "I don't know for sure. I mean, I wouldn't just let him go on with what they're trying to do, but…" Staring through the window, lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed his surroundings anymore. "If I'd have to choose between killing him or losing the fight myself… I'd rather let him end my life." Some birds were flying by, but he didn't even look at them. "It's not like I'd be wanting live on after killing him." That last sentence was spoken so softly, he had almost been unable to hear it himself. Somehow, he knew Shin had heard him anyway.

"Rei…" Startled, he turned away from the window, when Shin gently took hold of his hand. "Please don't say such things. We should hope we can stop them without having to defeat them in a life or dead fight. And if we'll end up being unable to bring them back to the good side…" Shin didn't look at him anymore, he just gazed at an empty spot on the floor. "We'd really miss you if you'd die. So please, don't ever say that again. It scares me."

Rei closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a little lightheaded. Idiot he was. He never even considered how his friends felt about him truly. He always just thought they worried about him because he was weaker and less useful in fighting. The idea never came up to his mind that Shin would carp him so much, sometimes, because he was actually afraid of losing him. "I'm sorry. I never thought of it that way." With a sigh, he opened his eyes again. "I won't say it again. I won't even think it." Shin let go of his hand, smiling thankfully.

And then, Rei suddenly noticed the smell of cheese burning. "Oh, crap!" As fast as he could, with one hand, he lifted the pan off the fire, while Shin used a oven glove to put the grilled cheese sandwiches on the plates. "Just in time," he grinned. "Or this cheese would've been a bit too grilled."

"Well, black cheese might taste even better, right?" Rei replied, smiling faintly.

"I don't think the others would agree."

"Probably not." Feeling a bit tired, Rei leaned against the table. That wound on his arm was really starting to throb now, and it felt strangely burning. But Shin would change the bandages after breakfast, so there really wasn't any need to complain about it now.

About half an hour later, he sat on Shin's bed, next to a first aid kit, that Shin always kept in his closet. Of course there were no real medical trainings in Heaven, but Shin had read so much about absolutely everything, he could act as a doctor, if needed. So Rei allowed him access to his injured arm without any fear. Still, it did hurt when Shin started to take off the bandages, and Rei moaned almost inaudibly.

"Sorry," Shin apologized. "It'll be done soon." Rei could hear his friend gasping when the wound became fully visible. "Rei… this must hurt so much!"

A little afraid to look, Rei swallowed. Then he looked at his arm and tensed. His entire arm was red and bruised at several spots. The wound itself was almost closed, but the skin around it was swollen. At some spots, wet traces of blood were still to be seen. Getting nauseous, Rei turned away his face. Knowing how it looked, made it hurt even more, or so it seemed. And he certainly hadn't expected it to look this ugly.

"Maybe I should have stitched it," Shin mumbled, looking guilty.

"Using what?" Rei asked. "You're doing all you can, but all you have is some bandages and tape."

"That's true." Shin bit his lip, which showed how worried he was. "Rei, it looks like it's infected. If it gets worse, you might develop a fever. Or…" He didn't finish his sentence, and Rei was pretty sure he didn't even want him to. "You have to be careful when we go back to that forest. Whatever happens, whoever we may encounter, don't overexert yourself. You'll body will need all the available energy to fight the bacteria." He carefully started to put a clean bandage around Rei's arm. "I'd rather have you staying at home to rest, but I guess it's no use even asking that."

Rei just gave him a look that said enough. He wouldn't stay here doing nothing, if he had a chance of helping his friends. And besides, it could distract him from the pain in his arm. To his relief, Shin didn't nag about it, he just bandaged the wound carefully and put the first aid kit back in his closet. After that, he finally responded. "Don't forget what we talked about earlier. Don't put your life at risk any more than absolutely necessary."

"I won't," Rei promised. "Besides, I won't be alone."

"That's true." Shin smiled at him quietly. "But you never know what we might encounter." His smile seemed sad, as well as a little frightened.

The walk to the circle of dead trees alone had made Rei feel like he could collapse at any moment. And as soon as they got there, demons came crawling out of the surrounding bushes again. "Go, now!" Goh commanded, while he and Gai got ready to fight. Shin nodded and pulled Rei with him towards the rocks. Rei almost tripped, but managed to make it look like he kneeled down on purpose, so he could investigate the strange entrance in the ground.

It was so small, that only a child or really slim person could fit through it. As slim as an angel. A bit startled, he looked at Shin. His friend didn't look back, instead he leaned over to try and see the where the entrance led to. "It's too dark. But if we go in, we might get some trouble getting out again."

"But at least we could see what's inside. If I bring out my wings, they'll light op the direct surroundings," Rei said. No matter what, they wouldn't get any further with the investigation if they wouldn't check out what was hidden below here.

"Won't it hurt your arm too much?" Shin asked worriedly.

"No, it won't," Rei replied shortly. It probably would, but he refused to be the reason to not go on with the investigation. The people who lived around here deserved better than to be made this scared. Shin looked at him, but finally jumped down through the small entrance like it was a slide. A bit reluctantly, Rei followed, trying really hard not to let his injured arm hit anything.

It was a lot longer way down than Rei had expected, and he was beginning to feel a bit suffocated in this cramped space. No, he wouldn't panic. He had to act strong. Ruka wouldn't be scared, right? Still, he couldn't help to shut his eyes to not see the deep darkness surrounding him, as he slid down the cave-like slide. He felt his own breathing turning agitated, and realized he had to calm down before he would start hyperventilating. "Shin?"

"Rei! You still all right?" Shin's soft voice sounded not too far away, but still… "Rei?"

"I'm fine. Just… wondering how much further down this thing will lead us." Hoping he had managed to hide his fear, so it wouldn't show in his voice, he waited for an answer.

"I can see something shining, not too far away…" Rei heard Shin's startles gasp when he hit the ground. Only seconds later, Rei bumped into his friend's back. "Ouch." Shin coughed. "That wasn't the softest landing ever. Is your arm still alright?"

"Y-yes," Rei mumbled, looking around in shock.

The entrance had led them to a small cave, deep underground. A strange circle was carved into the rocky ground, strange signed carved within it. It seemed to radiate with a weird, red light as well as a strange, uncomfortable heat. Some king of magic seal. It seemed to drain their powers slowly, the longer he sat here, the fainter he felt. What was this place? Who had made this? And if it weakened angels, then what were they planning to use it for? Rei felt himself shivering at that last thought. Since he could mainly think of two people who would want to defeat all angels. But… it just couldn't be. Feeling desperate and strangely weak, he slumped against Shin's back. Suddenly, he felt how his friend was trembling.

"Shin… We have to get… away from here," Rei whispered, having to make a big effort to stay awake.

"I know," Even Shin's voice was trembling, as he kept staring to some place on the other side of the floor, against the wall. "Rei… look closely."

"What…" Rei looked over Shin's shoulder, and his heart seemed to freeze for a moment.

Silver feathers. Such beautiful silver feathers, probably shed when the person they belonged to flew off into another exit of this cave, right above the spot where the feathers lay. Shin couldn't fight back the effect of the magic seal any longer, and collapsed sideways to the ground. Rei felt himself falling with his friend, too far gone already to do anything about it. He noticed something besides the feathers, which left no doubts. One of the small, silver ribbons Yuda always wore around his head.

It was them. Yuda and Ruka. Rei didn't want to believe it, but as the seal weakened him so much he started to get dizzy, he realized he couldn't ignore the cold facts any longer. Their former friends had really came up with a plan to destroy Heaven. This seal was part of it. Ruka really didn't care about him anymore. As Rei slowly lost consciousness, he felt hot tears of pain burning in his eyes.

* * *

**Another cliffhanger! Sorry, KuroNekoShoujo… ;)**

**Okay, I was planning to make the part about the circle of dead trees and the cave underneath it a bit longer, but the part with Shin taking care of Rei's wound ended up a little longer than expected. Sorry it took me so long to upload, I had a lot of schoolwork.**

**I'll upload the next chapter somewhere in next weekend, and hopefully another one in that same weekend. See you then :D**


	6. Part I: 5

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**This one ended up a bit shorter than planned, but I'll update soon. I was actually planning on uploading 2 chapters this weekend, but I was sick yesterday, so I didn't have enough time.**

**And in case you won't noticed yet by what I made him do to Rei in this chapter, I hate Kira… He's so mean **

* * *

Feeling the fresh wind blow through his hair, he flew through the sky. Beneath him were only clouds to be seen, above him only the deep blue sky and the sun. Still, he felt so safe here. Because he knew Ruka was right behind him. Smiling happily, he looked back. Ruka flew a bit faster, until they were flying next to each other. He smiled at Rei, his eyes so beautiful and loving. And at that moment, Rei knew this had to be one of the happiest times in his life.

With a start, he woke up, staring directly into Gai's worried face. Disorientated and feeling strangely sleepy, he just stared at him. "Rei? Are you okay?" Gai's voice woke him up a little and he nodded weakly. Suddenly, it hit him that that feeling from just a moment ago had been nothing more than a dream. An empty dream. He felt like crying, but knew he'd only worry his friends even more if he would. Instead, he sat up slowly and looked around.

"How… did we get out of there? Is Shin okay?"

"It took you two so long to get out, that Goh went in to get you, and I manipulated the ground to create a ladder. And Shin woke up just before you, and he told us about… Well, the stuff you two found in that cave." Gai sighed. "But we'll discuss that later."

"Were are they?" Rei didn't see them anywhere.

"Over there." Gai pointed at a spot not that far away from them. Rei saw that Shin and Goh were talking about something. "You were still out cold, and they didn't want to disturb you."

Rei sighed. "Well, I'm fine now." Except for his arm, that felt like it was throbbing even more painfully than before. "Shouldn't we try to get through the other exit in the cave? Maybe we'll find out where they are right now."

"Yeah, but Shin said he needs to check some books first, to see how we can get past the seal safely. Or else we'll probably end up too weak to fight by the time we get out of the cave." Gai looked at Rei's arm. "Besides, you'd probably better get some rest."

Rei looked at his arm and felt himself shivering. There were traces of blood coming through the bandages again. And it seemed to have gotten even more swollen. "Rei?" He looked up and saw Shin and Goh walking towards them. The blue haired angel was a bit pale, but Rei knew he probably looked the same himself. Not just because the aftereffect of that magic seal. More because of what they found out. Yuda and Ruka. Unbelievable, that it actually were their former best friends who they'd have to stop.

Shin smiled at him, but the look in his eyes kept sad. "I'm glad you're awake."

Rei didn't bother to respond to that. "Are we going to search on tomorrow?"

"I'm going to see if I can find a way to decrease the effects of the seal. As Gai probably already told you, we'll follow the other exit tomorrow."

"But only if your arm doesn't cause you too much pain," Goh said quietly.

"It doesn't," Rei replied.

Sometime later, back in their house, he had to admit that had been a lie. Shin and Goh had gone to the library for research, Gai had took Maya to go playing in the forest, and he didn't even want to know what Kira was doing. He only hoped he wouldn't accidentally run into him, so now he was just sitting in his room, trying to think of something to do. Something which didn't involve using his injured arm, since that felt like it was on fire.

So he ended up lying on bed in his room, trying to sleep a bit. He had nothing else to do anyway, since he had bought enough food for a week yesterday. And Shin had promised to help him cooking, so he would have to wait for him anyway. With a sigh he closed his eyes, trying not to think of anything. Still, not matter how tired he was, it took him over ten minutes before he finally fell asleep. Only to wake up from a nightmare a few minutes later.

Fire, that's all what there had been. And inside it, Ruka. That's when he looked at his hand and saw the burning torch. It had been him, Rei, who had killed his most beloved friend. And that's when he had woken up, gasping for breath and tears falling down his pale cheeks. "Ruka…" Trying to calm himself down, he remembered Ruka's smiling face. No, he could never hurt his angel. No matter what he had promised to Shin, he just couldn't fight Ruka. Ever.

Still feeling his heart beating, he stood up to get some water. The house still seemed empty, though he knew Kira was in here somewhere, as well as Shin and Goh. But the last two were in the library room, so they wouldn't be don researching for a while. He suddenly felt a bit lonely. In the past, there had always been Ruka to cheer him up, talking and having fun with him. Well, he just had to keep hoping those days would come back one day. No, not just hoping. Believing.

"Geez, you again?" And unfriendly voice ripped him out of his thoughts.

"I happen to live here too, Kira," he replied, as friendly as possible. It still came out a bit annoyed.

"Did you guys find out anything?"

"Yes." But he certainly wasn't going to tell Kira about it.

Kira glared at him. "Why won't anyone tell me or Maya anything?"

"Oh, Gai probably tells Maya things. Since he's nice, unlike you." He regretted saying that the moment he said it, but he wasn't in a great mood right now. And talking to Kira didn't make him feel any better.

"Bitch!" Kira snapped. "It's not like anyone likes you, they just need you because you're a Saint Beast!"

"That's not true!" Was it?

"Then why are you alone right now?" Kira smirked at him. "It's because you're useless."

That again. "Just leave me alone," Rei asked quietly.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Just shut up!" Almost automatically, he pushed Kira away so he could walk past him. What he hadn't counted on, was for Kira to push him back, slamming him hard against the wall. "O-ouch!" Rei couldn't help but to whimper in pain when his left arm got between his body and the wall. It felt like it could splashed open, but he didn't feel any blood falling. "Idiot!"

"Fake angel!" Kira yelled back.

"You mean yourself! I'd wish you'd never existed!"

"That's what the whole world wishes about you!" Kira was almost screaming. "Before Yuda and Ruka get to the good side again, I hope they'll kill you!"

That felt like a slap in his face. A really hard slap. For a moment, all he could do was staring at Kira, who just glared back at him angrily. "Well, let's find out," he mumbled finally. Feeling like he was in a dream, or a nightmare, he stood up and ran off. Somewhere deep inside, he knew this was a stupid idea. Shin would probably scold him for it later. Somewhere even deeper inside, he knew that he'd be lucky if there would be a later. But all he realized right now, was that he couldn't live on like this. He had to find Ruka, and he had to find him now!

Somewhere halfway to the front door, he felt someone grabbing his arm. Nearly losing his balance, he turned around and hit the person to get free, thinking it was Kira. Only when he heard the cry of pain when he hit, he realized that it was Goh holding him, followed by Shin. "I'm sorry." Sinking to his knees, he fought to hold back his tears. "I just… I have to find him."

Goh looked at Shin for help. The blue haired angel sat down in front of Rei, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We found a way, with some spells, to slow down the effect of the seal. We'll go tomorrow. And no matter how long it takes, we will find them and get them back to us. Can you wait that long?"

Rei swallowed, and softly nodded. Shin smiled at him reassuringly, and shot a glance at Rei's arm. Suddenly, he paled. "Shin? What…" Rei followed his gaze, and saw that all of the bandages around it had turned red from blood.

* * *

**I can't seem to free myself from ending chapters with a cliffhanger… Sorry. But I'll start writing a new chapter right now, so it'll be uploaded soon :D**


	7. Part I: 6

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**Sorry it took me a while to upload, I've been sick a few days. But I'm all better now :D**

* * *

Before he even realized it, Goh had lifted him up and carried him to Shin's room, while Shin got his first aid kit out. "What did you do with it?" Goh asked shocked, when he saw Rei's arm. Without the bandages, it looked even worse, all ripped open again. Shin hurried to get disinfecting alcohol on a piece of cotton and began wiping the blood off with it. Rei couldn't help but to wince in pain, as the alcohol stung in his wound.

"I had a fight with Kira, and I pushed him away. And then he pushed me back and I fell against a wall," Rei answered through his teeth, trying not to pull back his arm.

"Was that why you wanted to run away?" Goh asked carefully.

Rei nodded. "I thought you were him when you grabbed my arm. I'm really sorry for hitting you."

Goh smiled at him. "Don't worry about that, you didn't hit hard."

Rei smiled back at him, thankful that he wasn't angry. He just wished his friends wouldn't look so worried right now. Okay, his arm did look terrible, but at least some of the pressure was lifted off now the wound had bled a little. He only felt a little lightheaded. Sighing, he closed his eyes for a moment. "Rei? Do you want to lie down?" Shin asked quietly.

"No, I'll get blood on your bed if I do," Rei answered, his eyes still closed. "I'll be fine in a moment."

"Okay." Shin didn't sound like he believed him, but he silently started to re-bandage Rei's arm anyway. Suddenly, Rei felt Goh holding him, and realized he had almost fallen sideways. "Rei?"

"Sorry," Rei mumbled, trying to get up again. He opened his eyes, but regretted that immediately. Through the open door of the room, he saw Kira watching them. That was just about the last person he wanted to see right now. Luckily, Goh hinted Kira to leave, what the half-angel reluctantly did. A bit relieved, Rei sat up. He really didn't want Kira to see him so weak, since the blonde would undoubtedly use it against him later.

"It's re-bandaged, but try to be more careful with it," Shin said after a while. "It's already a bit infected, and it would be bad if it would get worse."

"Okay," Rei said quietly. It still hurt, but if Shin or Goh would notice, they might say that he shouldn't go help searching tomorrow. Rei felt that he had to help. He just had to find Ruka. So he carefully stood up, his left arm limply alongside his body. "Thanks for helping me. I… think I'll go make dinner now."

"Ah, right. I promised to help you," Shin remembered. "Goh? Could you please check the last few books alone?"

"Sure. I'll probably be done in about ten minutes, so I'll see if I can help you two then," Goh replied.

"Thanks." Slowly, Rei and Shin walked to the kitchen, while Goh went back to the library. Rei couldn't help but notice that Shin gave him worried looks occasionally. Not wanting to seem unthankful for the medical care the other angel had given him, he decided to just ignore it, instead of asking him to stop looking. Not that Shin wouldn't understand, but Rei sometimes had the feeling his friend was actually hurt by how he acted sometimes. And no matter how it could annoy him when his friends worried about him, it wouldn't really be a good sign if they didn't care about him at all.

After cooking and eating, they just sat and talked about noting important for a bit. So, as soon as the sun started setting, Rei excused himself and left for his bedroom. There wasn't anything he really needed to still do today anyway. And if they would encounter Ruka and Yuda tomorrow, he might as well be well rested. He just hoped that he wouldn't have bad dreams again, tonight. Or good dreams that would just make him sad as soon as he woke up and would realize it had been nothing more than that.

With a soft sigh, he crawled into his bed, shivering a bit in the cold blankets. If Ruka would've been here right now, they had been talking. And maybe, Ruka would've laid down next to him, holding him so he'd warm up sooner. Now, all he could do was imagine that his dearest friend was here. Trying to keep the image of Ruka's smile in his mind, he closed his eyes. If he tried really hard, he could almost feel Ruka's strong arms holding him. Almost hear Ruka's tender voice telling him everything was going to be all right. As long as he just didn't open his eyes, to see his room was still empty, and Ruka was still gone.

Feeling almost happy, he drifted off to sleep.

Next morning when he woke, he felt a lot less happy. He had a bit of a headache, the pain in his arm had gone even worse, and he had somehow managed to tie himself up in his blanket while he was asleep. Not wanting to open his eyes, he laid still for a moment. Where would Ruka be at this moment? Thinking a bit about that, he managed to sleep a little longer. Only to wake up with his headache even worse, and feeling a little nauseous.

With a deep sigh, he started to climb out of bed. Why was it so hot in here? Hadn't it been cold last night? "No…" he whispered annoyed, suddenly realizing what was wrong. As soon as he looked in the mirror on the door of his wardrobe, he knew there was no doubt. His face was a lot paler than usual, set aside the unhealthy blush on his cheeks. To make it look even better, he also had dark bags underneath his eyes. To be short, he had a fever. And no idea how he was going to hide that from his friends.

If they'd notice, they would insist on him staying in bed until he was fully recovered. But in that case, he wouldn't be able to help finding Yuda and Ruka. He'd be even more useless. And besides, he wouldn't be able to bear it if his friends would get hurt, while he was safe at home. Sighing again, he decided to get dressed first, and would worry about what to do about his face after that.

In the end, he couldn't think of anything else than to just brush his long, purple hair over his cheeks as much as possible. Okay, it would be clear to everyone that he was hiding something. But they'd at least know that he wasn't planning to let him stop it from finding Ruka.

On his way downstairs, he smelled pancakes, and realized just now that the sun was already full up. Then who had made breakfast. "Shin," he said in surprise, when he saw the blue haired angel cooking.

His friend turned around with a friendly smile. "I went to your room this morning to ask if I could help, but you were still fast asleep. And since you insist on coming with the rest of us today, I thought it would be better if you'd get as much sleep as possible." His smile turned into a worried one. "How are you feeling?"

"Not so bad," Rei lied, carefully sitting down on one of the kitchen seats. In fact, the scent of food alone already made him wanting to throw up.

Shin just watched him for a moment, before walking to him, and laying a arm around his slender shoulders. "Don't force yourself, I can see you feel ill. Don't worry, I can't force you to stay home. Just… let Goh or me carry you on our back if you feel too tired to walk."

"But then I'll be a burden," Rei objected.

"Well, yes." To Rei's surprise, Shin hugged him softly. "But if it would be me, I wouldn't want to not be able to save Yuda either. So I can understand your reasons."

More thankful than Shin would probably ever know, Rei smiled at him. "Thanks."

* * *

**Short one, but the next one will be longer and more interesting. It'll probably be uploaded this weekend or sooner.**


	8. Part I: 7

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**This one ended up longer than expected, and finally they make a bigger progress in searching for Ruka and Yuda :D**

* * *

By the time they had gotten to the circle of dead trees, Rei was getting trouble to stay on his feet. Luckily, the demons were with less this time, and Goh could kill them all with one blow. When they all stood before the entrance to the cave, Shin finally told what the plan was. "Since Goh is physically the strongest of us, he'll say it while the rest of us runs over to the other entrance. When we're there, Goh will follow." He looked at Rei, a bit concerned. "That's when we'll need you to use your wings, Rei. It'll be a tight fit in the cave, but the spell only works as long as it's being spoken. So we'll have to get away from the seal as soon as possible."

So he would have to drag his friends along, in a space so small he would barely able to open his wings. But he couldn't let his friends down right now. He had to do this for them, but also to find Ruka. "Okay."

"You sure you won't pass out?" Gai asked, a bit blunt. The look in his eyes was honestly worried, though.

"I can do it," Rei insisted. He wouldn't let himself fail.

Despite what he promised himself, he couldn't help but tremble a bit when he jumped into the glide, after his friends. Somehow, the road down seemed a little less long this time, probably since he knew now where they would end up, but he still felt some relieve when he landed in the cave. Goh immediately started the spell, while Shin and Gai ran to the other exit, Shin dragging Rei along. "Now!" he said hurriedly. Rei nodded.

As soon as he got his wings out, Shin grabbed him around his waist, Gai held on to Shin and Goh ended the line, holding Gai. "You can do it!" Gai said, without a single doubt in his eyes. Shin and Goh looked at him the same way, which made Rei feel a lot better, but also even more nervous. He'd do anything not to let down his friends.

With all the power he had in him, he jumped, using his wings to gain height as quick as possible. This exit was slightly bigger than the entrance they'd came through. That explained why they had found Ruka's feathers here. It was just wide enough to fly in without scratching his wings on the sides. But even without that, his arm was killing him due to the pressure of their speed. How long was this thing? Rei felt his head spinning. If they wouldn't reach the end of the exit soon… He didn't know if he would be able to keep flying.

"Just a bit more, Rei!" Shin's voice reached him. "I can already see light!"

Hopeful, Rei looked up. Indeed, there was a small sign of light at the end of the tunnel, and it was getting bigger quickly. Just a few meters left… It felt like coming back to life when the warm sunlight finally embraced him. It actually took him some effort to slow down and land, as all he wanted was to get away from the darkness. And it took him even more effort to land calmly, so his friends could get on their feet safely, feeling in his entire body how much energy he had used.

Suddenly he felt Shin holding him, and realized he had dropped to the ground sideways. Barely able to speak, Rei looked at him. "Please… Can we… sit for a moment?" After a little rest, he would be able to go on for a while again, but right now he was so tired. Shin just smiled at him and nodded. "Sure. You did great, dragging us out of that cave like that." Rei felt he got a little blush on his cheeks, and he managed to smile. Goh and Gai sat down next to them, both looking somewhat concerned, though Goh was a little pale himself. Probably because he had been saying the spell. Still, Rei was glad he wasn't the only one feeling like he could use some rest.

Letting out a small sigh, he closed his eyes and relaxed a bit. He hadn't really meant to fall asleep, but he didn't notice he had until he woke up a few minutes later. Well, at least he felt a lot better now. "Sorry," he mumbled, while opening his eyes, "I had wanted to stay awake, but…"

Shin shook his head reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. Are you rested enough to walk on now?"

"Yes." Quickly, he sat up, looking around for the first time. Still a forest, just darker and colder. They couldn't have ended up so far away from where they had started, but it seemed like an entirely different environment. A similarity, though, was that there were no animals at all here either. Just that strange, unnatural silence. But it seemed even more oppressive in this place. And were where they even supposed to go now?

"Sorry to ask even more of you, but could you fly up a bit to see of you can spot anything strange?" Goh asked.

He should have seen that coming. "Okay." Slowly, he let his wings come out at flew up to a few feet above tree level. Cold air blew through his hair, making it flutter into his face. Using both his hands to push it away, he tried to look around. No circle of dead trees here, But about ten miles away, the forest ended, and a big rocky landscape started. More prominent, there were several caves there, leading into the ground. The most probably place for Yuda and Ruka to be hiding out.

"There are a lot of caves, about ten miles in that direction," he reported to his friends, after he had landed. "It seems like the best place to search."

"Okay. We probably won't be able to cover ten miles before it gets dark, though," Shin realized. "We'll have to find a place to rest for the night halfway."

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," Goh decided. "Since we don't know how many demons are lurking here, we might better start moving."

"Rei, did you see anything else besides us that's… you know… alive?" Gai asked suddenly, while they were walking. "I don't mean like the trees, but animals or people. Or even some houses."

"No. It's just forest, as far as I could look," Rei answered. But the thing about the houses was something he hadn't even thought about yet. "I should have been able to see that village we were originally assigned to investigate. It shouldn't be more than a few miles from here, at least the spire of the villages church above the trees. But there were no buildings at all." A little more scared than he wanted to admit, he looked at his friends. "So how did we get so far away?"

"The seal," Shin answered quietly. "There was a part of it I just couldn't figure out from the books. It must be some sort of teleportation device, letting you travel more than the distance you should be able to through the caves."

"So we'll be able to get back through the same way?" Gai asked.

"Probably," Shin replied, making Rei a bit nervous. Probably wasn't exactly the same as definitely. Gai seemed to feel the same was, looking around a bit stressed. Still no sign of demons, but the strange cold silence and the tight forest made this seem like the perfect place for those creatures. In fact, the forest was so tight, they could barely see more than twenty feet in front of them, making it easy to get lost. Not for the first time, Rei was glad he had his wings. He could always fly up to check their location.

At first they had been trying to keep talking to each other, especially Gai, but somehow after a few miles they ended up as silent as their surroundings. What they were likely to be facing in not too much time wasn't really something to get happy about. And this whole forest had some kind of depressing aura, making it feel awkward and misplaced to be talkative. It wasn't really helping Rei, now he didn't have any distraction at all anymore.

His injured arm was throbbing, and the headache he had all day long was getting worse again. The sun was already dropping slightly, telling them they should go search for a place to stay for the night in a few hours. It were those few hours that felt like a big problem. Mostly because he felt like he would throw up from the nauseating headache in not more than a few minutes. Goh, who walking in front, was still walking in a steady pace, though, as well as the other two, and Rei didn't want to be the one requesting for a break again.

A wave of dizziness shot through him, making him almost trip. Ignoring it, he walked on, but suddenly Gai grabbed his uninjured arm. "Sit down, you look like a ghost!"

"I'm fi…" 'Fine' he had wanted to say, but talking proved to be a bad thing for his nausea. Just in time he turned away from Gai, and threw up in some bushes. Okay, so much for his breakfast. "Sorry…" He felt Gai putting an arm around his trembling shoulders to comfort him, but he couldn't help but to look away in embarrassment . "I'm sorry."

"Rei, don't be." Carefully, Shin wiped Rei's face off with a disposable handkerchief. "It's not your fault you're feeling sick."

"Next time, just tell if you need a rest." Goh looked almost guilty. "I didn't notice, so I just kept on walking."

He didn't want to let there be a next time, but Rei nodded quietly. "I'm fine now. I think it's just the infection from my arm."

"I'll go find a place to camp tonight." Goh stood up. "If one person comes with me, the other one can stay with Rei for a bit."

"I can walk too," Rei objected. He instantly proved he couldn't, when he tried to stand up and landed on Gai when another wave of dizziness came. Okay, the fever might be a little bit higher than he had thought. At least now he had already come too far to let his friends tell him to give up. No matter what, he would find Ruka, even if it would become his death.

"Err, could you get off me?" Gai growled, while Goh and Shin walked off. "You're fat!"

"I'm not!" Rei defended himself, sliding off Gai lap to sit in front of the smaller angel.

Gai grinned. "Okay, but you are heavy." Teasingly he poked in Rei stomach. "Even though that seems to be empty."

"Yeah, that bush knows all about what used to be in there," Rei mumbled, still a bit ashamed. When he saw Gai's face, he couldn't help but to smile, though.

Gai smiled too. "Can you move at least a bit? Just a little, so we're out of that smell." Rei nodded and they shove a bit towards a tree. "On behalf of me as well as this tree, please don't throw up again."

This time Rei laughed without reserve, and it made him feel better immediately. Which probably had been Gai intention all along, seeing the somewhat relieved expression on the blonde's face. At that moment, Shin and Goh came back, telling they had found a relatively sheltered spot just a few feet further. With some help, Rei managed to walk there without problems, and they all ended up sitting with their backs against a group of trees and their shoulders against each other's.

"I can't even see the sky," Shin sighed, looking at the leaves covering the view above them. Rei sighed too, leaning his head against Shin's. The view might not be great, but at least it felt somewhat safe here. Even safe enough to sleep a bit, perhaps. Staring at the sky, he felt his eyelids grow heavy. Vaguely he realized he was slipping off Shin's shoulder and would fall over soon, but he was too lazy to do anything about it. Luckily, Shin gently laid him on his side on the ground, allowing Rei to use his lap as a pillow. "Go to sleep, we'll watch over you," the blue haired angel promised. Rei just smiled at him drowsily, before his eyes slid shut and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

***Yawns* Okay, It's 0:22 AM as I write this, so that's my excuse for the sleepy ending. Well, at least not a big cliffhanger this time.**

**Next chapter will be uploaded soon, maybe even tomorrow. Depends on other things I still have to do, like catching up on sleep ;)**


	9. Part I: 8

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**They finally meet Ruka and Yuda :D**

* * *

It took him a few seconds to realize where he was, when he woke that morning. A forest, with his friends. Then he remembered, and slowly rolled over to his back to look at the sky. Still a bit dark, the sun was just rising. Again, it felt strange not to hear any sound of birds awaking. He and his friends really seemed to be the only living creatures in this forest. Suddenly he felt some movement and realized he was still lying with his head on Shin's lap. "Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," Shin replied. "Are you feeling any better?"

Rei nodded and sat up. "Well, physically," he mumbled. Considering where they were heading and who they would undoubtedly find there, he actually felt more nervous than ever. Shin sighed, what told Rei that his friend was feeling the same. No wonder, to him Yuda meant the same as Ruka did to Rei. "Are you… ready to face them?" he asked quietly.

"No. But I don't think we'll ever be." Carefully, Shin woke Goh and Gai. "Shall we walk on right now?"

"Yeah. Too bad we didn't bring any food with us," Goh said.

"I don't suppose there are any shops around here," Gai grinned.

"But we're in a forest," Rei commented. "We should be able to find some fruit and vegetables on the way to the caves." If they would be eatable was an entire different question, but if Yuda and Ruka had survived here, there had to be some kind of food.

"That's true," Shin agreed, while they started walking. "We'll just have to be careful not to poison ourselves."

It seemed like a good idea, only problem was that there were absolutely no bushes or trees to find with anything fruit-like in it. Well, Rei didn't really feel like eating anyway, but fir his friends, it would be better not to have to fight on an empty stomach. And how closer they were getting to the caves, the more he just knew they were going to have to fight. Shin was right, there was no way to get ready for what was coming. Fighting Ruka and Yuda… The idea still seemed so wrong.

"There's the end of the forest," Goh noticed suddenly. Indeed, in the near distance, there were already rocks showing and no more trees. Almost there. Rei's stomach seemed to turn, but he managed to keep it in.

Stepping on the rocks, leaving the forest behind them, they first looked around in silence. The ending of this rocky landscape wasn't close enough to see from the ground, and the number of entrances to caves made it clear there had to be an entire building underneath the earth. One of the entrances, though, a bigger one, had some strange signs carved in the wall. And there laid another one of Ruka's beautiful silver feathers.

Quietly, Rei kneeled down and picked it up. It felt so soft and yet so strong. Just like it's owner. "I think we should try this entrance," he said, his voice even softer than usual.

"I think you're right," Shin agreed, along with Gai and Goh. "Let's go in."

It seemed to be colder inside than it had been outside, but that could just be because the sun couldn't warm it in here. Still, Rei shivered a bit. There was a strange atmosphere here. Something certainly wasn't right, but so far, the cave itself seemed rather normal. Including the usual splitting, a few feet further. Four passages. Four of them. As if it had been planned that way. Swallowing, Rei looked at his friends. "Isn't it a bad idea to split up?"

"It looks like we'll have to," Goh replied. "I'm sure they'll lead to the same place eventually, but we'll have to check it out to be sure."

"Rei? Are you going to be okay?" Shin asked.

"Why not?" Rei muttered, a little embarrassed. Like he was so much weaker than his friends. Okay, his injured arm wasn't doing him any good, but still. He was able to fight, if he would have to, just as much as his friends.

"Just be careful with the infection," Shin asked friendly. Rei nodded, and they all walked into a different passage. It felt so wrong, like leaving a part of himself, but Rei knew he couldn't run back now. If he'd do that, they would see him as the weakest one forever. That was something he wouldn't be able to bear.

Letting out a trembling sigh, he fastened his pace of walking. His headache didn't get better from that, but he actually had to fight himself not to start running like some scared animal. Ruka might be in here. Whether friend or foe, Rei had to find him. Maybe that was part of what scared him so much. The moment he both ached for and feared was getting so close. What, or who, would be waiting at the end of this cave? And, more importantly, with what intentions?

He almost tripped, and a wave of dizziness shot through him. Allowing himself to stand still for a moment, he leaned against a wall. How much further would it be? Walking on, he hoped that it wouldn't be too long. Still, when he finally saw some light in the distance, he almost wished he wasn't this far yet. He just knew someone was there. If it was Ruka, he didn't know. He wasn't that sure he even wanted to know that before he would actually see him.

"Shin!" he yelled, when he recognized his friend. Seemed like both their passages ended in this part of the cave, meaning Goh and Gai probably also would end up together. With surprise but also a bit of relief on his face, Shin turned around.

"Rei! I'm glad you're okay," Shin sighed.

Blushing a little, Rei looked at the ground. "I can actually walk through a cave without getting hurt, you know."

"Rei, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just… Your arm, the infection… Ruka."

"You have the same with Yuda," Rei reminded him, while looking around. A big, round cave, with a small singe passage on the other side. There seemed to be some sort of door in it, but instead of a lock, it had a magic seal.

"I guess we'll have to wait," Shin remarked, not replying to what Rei said about his relation to Yuda. Rei noticed, but he didn't want to nag on about the subject.

After what felt like hours, but couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes, there was some strange sound, and the door suddenly opened. Rei felt his hart skip a beat, and heard Shin gave a shocked gasp, when the newcomers became visible. The person he had wanted to see so much. Their two beloved friends, who had been cast out to Hell. Over his shoulder, Yuda carried Gai and Goh's worryingly limp bodies. Ruka walked in after the red haired angel.

Rei's hart almost skipped another beat when Ruka's beautiful eyes looked at him. For a moment, he just wanted to run to him and be held by his angel. But that feeling didn't last long. All that was visible in the eyes of their former friends, was a cold, empty hatred.

* * *

**This was a short one, sorry… Got busy with school, lots of homework and searching for an internship abroad. But next chapter will be longer!**

**I'll update next weekend :)**


	10. Part I: 9

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute 3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**This chapter is longer than the last one, and you'll probably hate me by the end of it…**

* * *

"Yuda," Shin said softly. Rei just stared, too shocked by the cold look in their former friends' eyes to say anything. Yuda didn't respond anyway, he just threw Gai and Goh on the floor, in a corner of the cave. The two kept laying unmoving, probably unconscious. Rei hoped they weren't wounded. He didn't see any wounds, but it still scared him that Yuda and Ruka had obviously attacked them. They had actually hurt their former friends. Somehow, Rei had always kept hoping they wouldn't.

"You two are next," Yuda said, his voice emotionless.

"Please stop doing this," Shin asked softly.

Yuda smirked. "And why would we? Heaven betrayed us, you four let us down, so why wouldn't we destroy all of you?"

"Because… we…" Shin didn't finish that sentence, but Rei knew what he had wanted to say. Because we are friends. Honestly, he didn't want to know what Yuda's answer to that would be either. So instead, he looked at Ruka again, trying not to look too scared.

"We can't let you torture so many people and angels," he said, his voice steady but almost too soft to hear. "Can't we talk?"

"You're still such a weakling," Ruka replied, with a cold, scornful voice. "Talk about it. After spending so long in Hell?" His words hurt Rei more than he wanted to show, but he couldn't help but to step back when Ruka came closer. The white haired angel smirked, taking another step in Rei's direction. "Are you scared? How would you have talked if you're afraid to let me anywhere near you?" Another step closer.

"Stop it!" Shin said. Yuda jumped to him unexpectedly, grabbing him by his collar.

"What were you planning on doing against it?" Yuda asked. Ruka had Rei trapped between him and the wall, also grabbing him by his collar. Both Rei and Shin tried in vain to get free.

The cold look in Ruka's eyes, the rough way he treated him. This wasn't his beloved friend anymore. Rei didn't even know him anymore. But the Ruka he knew had to be in there, somewhere deep inside. If he could only get him out. Get him to listen. Get him to remember how much they had loved each other, even though neither of them had ever said it out loud. That was one of the things Rei regretted the most. That he had never told Ruka how much he loved him. How much he still does.

"Please, Ruka," he whispered, almost without thinking. "Don't be so mean. Don't you remember anything?"

"What should I remember," Ruka growled.

Rei tried to free himself again, accidentally kicking Ruka. The silver haired anger stepped back startled, but before Rei could even move, Ruka got hold of him again. This time with his right hand tightly around Rei's throat. The smaller angel gasped startled, feeling his windpipe get squeezed shut. "Ruka…" His vision was starting to get blurry.

"Rei!" Shin yelled, still being captured by Yuda. "You have to fight!"

Desperately, Rei used his angel powers to shoot a blow aimed for Ruka's chest. To his own regret, he actually hit, sending Ruka flying back. With a thud, the angel landed on the floor. He immediately got up, glaring angrily at Rei. "You'll pay for that, Rei!" In a flash, he shot back at Rei, but using a lot more strength than the purple haired angel had done. Too late, Rei tried to dodge. He wasn't quick enough, and the blow hit him in his stomach. He felt some bone snapping when his back hit the wall, but was to dazed to feel which one. Limply, he fell down.

Just before he hit the ground, Ruka grabbed him by his throat again, pulling him to his feet. "I won't let you get away that easily," his former friend growled.

Rei just stared at him, too much weakened by his new injuries as well as the old one, to still fight him. Was this really the angel who had once been so protective over him? The one person who could always make him feel better, no matter what? If it was, than his hopes had been in vain. He would never get his Ruka back. He would feel so lonely and depressed for the rest of his life, which was close to eternity for an angel. That, he wasn't able to bear.

"Ruka," he mumbled, trying to keep his eyes open. The whole world seemed to be spinning before his eyes. "Please remember. You were always so nice to everyone. You always made me feel happy." Desperately, he felt tears falling down his pale cheeks. "Please, remember who you are." The look in Ruka's eyes darkened, fastening his grip on Rei's throat. "Ruka… I…"

"Shut up!" Ruka's voice was full of anger and hatred, but also… pain? Getting a little hope, Rei looked him in the eyes. But instead of showing some recognition, his wine red eyes only showed a deep, dark nothingness. No emotion at all, despite how his voice had sounded. Rei's chest seemed to be burning with a lot more than just the lack of oxygen. No pain, not even a little guilt. Still, even anger would have been better that this emotionless emptiness. Ruka didn't care. Ruka didn't feel anything for him at all. Had he ever done so in the first place? Had all the friendship and happiness, and even the unspoken love, all been just a lie?

When Ruka didn't ever respond to Rei's soft, airless sob, something deep inside of him just seemed to break. Suddenly, he didn't even care anymore himself. Why would he? The one person he loved more than anything, in any world, didn't care anyway. Letting his eyes fall shut for a moment, he fought to get just enough air to talk. Not even noticing how Shin and Yuda, who was still restraining the former, were staring at the two of them, he looked Ruka in the eyes. Though his own eyes were full of pain, tears still rolling down his cheeks, he didn't tremble, and his voice was weak but steady.

"Ruka… If you really… don't care…" He tried to swallow, but couldn't. "Then… kill me."

He hadn't expected Ruka to let go of him. He hadn't expected him to show any regret at all. He certainly hadn't expected him to fire a blow at him with the hand he was holding Rei's throat with. It didn't even really hurt. Somewhere far away he could hear Shin crying out his name. All he saw sharply, was Ruka's impassive face. All he wanted was to see him smile at him again, just once, but he knew that wouldn't happen. Ruka would never know how much he had loved him.

He felt himself falling to the floor, landing hard on his back. Even now Ruka had let go of him, he couldn't breathe. With no feeling of panic at all, he realized that his windpipe had been slashed. So this was it. He had failed. Ruka would never be with him again. But… Finally some feeling got back to him, for a moment. He would never know, unless… With an enormous effort, he managed to speak the few words he really needed to have said, before…

"Ru..ka… I… love… you."

Then suddenly, all pain within him seemed to fade away, along with his vision. He glanced up at Ruka one last time, and with that vision on his mind, all went black.

"Rei!" Tears falling down his cheeks, Shin called his friend's name again, garnering no response. The purple haired angel just laid there on his back, surrounded by the blood that was also covering his throat and part of his chest. His eyes were closed, and his face was paler, and more still than Shin had ever seen it. And he knew, he just knew, that Rei wasn't breathing. But his heart might still be beating. It had to be.

"Yuda, please!" he begged, clinging his fists into the front of Yuda's angel robe. "Heal him!" Desperately trying to reach the soul of his friend, he let himself fall against him, crying. "Please! Don't… don't let him die!"

Yuda stared at him, his breathing slightly fastened. Shin noticed that Ruka hadn't moved at all, he just stood there unmoving, looking down on Rei's bloodstained, broken body. Nothing happened though, but just as Shin felt he was starting to lose hope, he saw something that almost made his own heart stop beating for a moment.

A single lonely tear, slowly rolled down Ruka's cheek.

* * *

**Ok, before you kill me, please reread what I've said in the summary: there won't be character deaths. I'd probably feel guilty for the rest of my life… And sorry for the cliffhanger ;)**

**Next chapter will be uploaded this weekend, with some luck.**


	11. Part I: 10

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute :3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**This chapter was a bit hard to write, for some reason. I hope it didn't get too overly dramatic…**

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Sin felt Yuda tensing, when he fully realized what had happened. That Rei was close to death. Desperate, he looked him in the eyes again. "Please. You know you can still save him!" Yuda stared at him, with the look of a lost child. "Please," Shin begged, laying his hand on Yuda's cheek. The red haired angel gasped startled, but finally his eyes showed emotion. He looked so terrified and hurt it almost broke Shin's heart.

"Sorry…" Yuda whispered, stumbling backwards to get away from Shin. "I'm… sorry!"

"You can still fix things. Heal Rei, and Goh and Gai." Shin carefully leaned forward and gave him an almost impalpable kiss on his cheek. He knew he was taking a huge risk, but he had to wake up Yuda's soul. "I know you can do it."

Breathing fast, Yuda shut his eyes for a moment. Finally, he nodded. "Okay."

Ruka kept standing unmoving, like he was in some kind of shock, while Yuda and Shin kneeled down at Rei's side. Yuda took a deep breath, and softly placed his lips on Rei's slashed throat. The purple haired angel gasped automatically, when his windpipe healed and he could breathe again. Slowly, unbearably slowly, the wound closed and the blood on his body disappeared. Shin realized Ruka still hadn't moved. Just as Yuda had needed Shin to wake him up inside, Ruka needed Rei. But why hadn't Rei managed to get Ruka back in the first place?

"We couldn't let ourselves remember any longer," Yuda whispered suddenly, as if he had heard Shin's thoughts. "It was hurting too much, knowing we would never have you guys back again. I guess… he had more pain than I had thought." He sighed. "He must have shut his memory so tight, Rei just couldn't get through without… Without doing this." Meaning the raw shock of seeing his beloved friend dying, had been the only way to make him remember. But Rei needed to wake up, to talk to him, to really get him back.

"His arm!" Yuda noticed. "How did he get that?" While Yuda healed it, Shin told him about the demons attacking, while they were trying to get to the cave. "They… were helping us because we wanted to destroy Heaven," Yuda explained, his voice full of guilt. "They'll be pretty angry now."

"So… you'll stop?" Shin asked, hearing his own voice tremble.

Yuda looked at him, his eyes full of regret but also love. "We'll stop. I don't know if we can ever make it up to everyone, after what we did. But this revenge… it's just not worth it. It's not worth to make any of you die for."

Shin tried to keep strong, but seeing the look in Yuda's beautiful eyes, he couldn't hold on any longer. Without any warning, he hugged his friend tightly, feeling how Yuda first tensed in surprise, but then embraced him back. They didn't hold each other for long, though, realizing that all wasn't good just yet.

"I'll heal Gai and Goh, will you try to wake up Rei?" Yuda asked. "He's weakened a lot, but he should be able to talk to Ruka for a few minutes." He glanced up at his friend, who still seemed to be in shock. "I don't know if we can get him to come with us if Rei doesn't make him wake up."

"I will," Shin replied. While Yuda went to Goh and Gai, he carefully shook at Rei's slim shoulder. "Hey, wake up!" No response. "Rei, can you hear me? Rei!" He almost jumped back when Ruka suddenly kneeled beside him, still staring at Rei's face, tears slowly falling down his cheeks. He seemed like he wanted to touch Rei, but was afraid to. "Ruka. I think his mind is just as damaged as his body was. He needs you," Shin whispered, not sure if the silver haired angel was even listening. "Please try to wake him."

Ruka slowly lifted up his hand, and touched Rei's ghostly pale cheek. The purple haired angel didn't move, but his breathing got slightly stronger. Shin heard it, and he knew Ruka must have heard it too. "Ruka, call his name," he said urgently. Ruka shot him a short, uncertain glance, but then look back to Rei. His hand was still on Rei's cheek, and he softly caressed it. "Rei, please… wake up," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

The frail angel sighed softly, his face tensing a bit. Shin discretely stood up and walked to Yuda and the rest. Goh and Gai were awake already, staring at Ruka and Rei. Gai's eyes were a bit red, and Shin realized the blonde angel was nearly crying from worry. It wasn't until then, he finally felt his own cheeks were also wet. In silence, he sat down with them, and looked at how Rei was finally waking up.

Rei's body started trembling uncontrollably, as he finally opened his golden eyes and saw Ruka leaning over him. How could he be alive? Didn't Ruka kill him? Before he could even really look at his friend, Ruka turned his face away from him. Rei felt so desperate, he almost wished he had died. Did Ruka hate him that much? "Ru…ka..?" His friend finally looked at him, and Rei felt his heart skip a beat. Ruka's face was so pale, and wet from the tears that were still falling from his eyes. But what really got to him, was the look in those amazing, wine red eyes of his. So much guilt and pain. And so much hatred, but not towards Rei. Ruka hated himself.

"I'm sorry," Ruka's voice was unsteady, but honest. "I can never make this up to you. I… I nearly killed you." He looked away again. "I understand if you hate me. But please, don't ever feel bad about yourself. You're one of the strongest, and the most beautiful angel I've ever met."

Rei couldn't speak for a moment, emotions running through him like a whirlwind. When he finally found back his voice, he didn't know what to say. So he just said the first thing that came to his mind. "I… love you." Ruka stared at him, the look in his eyes almost shocked. With more effort than ever, Rei sat up. "I still… love you. And… I always… will." He couldn't hold on any longer, and fell back to the ground. Just before he hit it, Ruka caught him in his arms and pulled him tightly against his body.

"I love you too," Ruka whispered in Rei's ear. "And I'll do anything to deserve your love again." He was trembling as much as Rei was. The smaller angel felt it, and cuddled against him to comfort him a bit. His head was spinning, and he knew he would faint soon, but at least Ruka was with him now. No matter what, he'd never allow himself to lose the silver haired angel ever again. Asking Ruka to stay with him almost inaudibly, he passed out.

Ruka couldn't do anything but to watch, as Rei's eyes slid shut and his body went limp. He loved him so much. How could he have ever wanted to forget? "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I promise, from now on, I'll take care of you." Tenderly, he lifted Rei in his arms, one arm under his knees, the other one under his shoulders. The beautiful, frail angel barely weighted anything, which worried him, but since Rei's head leaned on his shoulder he could feel him breathing.

"Maybe you'd better fly home with him," Goh suggested. "That'll be quicker, and we can follow after by foot."

Ruka looked at him uncertain. "Do you all trust me enough to leave him with me?" It was nearly unbelievable if they did.

"We do," Shin answered. "Besides, it would be more dangerous to carry him all the way through the forest and caves while walking. Especially if we run into those demons again."

He had never felt more thankful in his life. Maybe there was still a chance to make things right again. If Zeus would allow it, at least. The fact that Yuda and himself were still banished from Heaven, wasn't something he wanted to worry about. Right now, Rei was more important. "I'll be careful with him," he promised, and flew off.

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**They got each other back :D But it's not over yet…**

**Next chapter will be uploaded in a few days ^^**


	12. Part I: 11

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute ;3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**This chapter is kind of fluff… ;3 Not just Rei/Ruka, but also Shin/Yuda. Not much action in this chapter, it's mostly talking.**

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It was pretty hard to fly in these caves, but it was a lot faster than walking. Still, it was a relieve when Ruka finally got out, and could gain some height. The fresh air above the forest seemed to do Rei good. At least, his breathing got a little stronger. With a soft sigh, Ruka looked at his beautiful angel, lying in his arms so quietly. Unbelievable he had almost killed Rei. Unbelievable that he had hurt him so much in the first place. He had seen the hurt, uncertain look in Rei's golden eyes, when the frail angel had woken up. Like he was scared of Ruka hating him. While Rei himself had every right to hate Ruka.

Still, despite how guilty he felt when looking at his pale face, it felt so amazing to hold the purple haired angel in his arms again. Rei's slender body felt so soft and warm, his skin as smooth as silk. Unbelievable that one so beautiful and sweet could still love someone like him, after all he and Yuda had done. "Rei…" he whispered, only for the joy of saying his name. Rei didn't respond, not that Ruka had expected him to. Though he didn't know what happened before Rei and the rest had found him and Yuda, he saw the now useless bandages around Rei's left arm. And he felt Rei's body being a bit too warm. The fever plus the recent shock were probably enough to knock him out for a while.

Through the air, especially with Ruka's strength, it only took about half an hour to get to the cave's entrance. Holding his unconscious friend as close to his body as possible, Ruka dived in. When he got down, he turned and went into the other exit so fast, the magic seal barely had the chance to affect him. No matter how short the trip was, Rei´s body trembled slightly. "Don´t worry, we´ll be out of here in seconds," he whispered in Rei's ear. It could be just his imagination, but the purple haired angel seemed to relax a bit at his voice.

When they got home, Ruka noticed the two half angels who he had been staying with the Saint Beasts since after Ruka and Yuda had been gone, weren't home. Maybe better this way, he would certainly have some explaining to do for barging in with Rei unconscious in his arms. In silence, he found Rei's room and laid the beautiful angel on his bed. Rei looked slightly awkward, making Ruka wonder if his friend would be more comfortable without his clothes and underneath the blanket. But wouldn't he be embarrassed at Ruka undressing him? Well, he wasn't exactly awake right now, but still.

"Will you let me undress you?" he asked softly. Rei didn't respond. His clothes were dirty, Ruka noticed. Full of mud and some dirt from the caves. "I won't look at anything," he promised, with a soft smile. If Rei could hear this, he would have such a cute blush on his cheeks right now.

Carefully, Ruka undressed his frail angel. His soft skin was paler than usual, and he had obviously lost weight since the last time Ruka had been given the chance to see him from this close. His body was still beautiful, though a bit feminine. Ruka couldn't help from stopping in his tracks for a moment, giving himself the chance to watch his beloved. After a few seconds, he fully undressed him, and laid him underneath the blanked. Rei looked a lot more comfortable like this. But also a bit cold.

For a moment, Ruka considered searching for some nightwear, but decided he had a better idea. Careful not to accidentally disturb him, Ruka took off his shoes and laid down next to Rei. Even unconscious, his frail friend still snuggled against his chest, with a content little sigh. Ruka smiled again, tenderly embracing Rei. Unbelievable how breathtakingly gorgeous his friend was right now. He just wanted to hold him like this forever. Rei's body so close to his, he could feel the other's slow heartbeat. Rei's face so close that Ruka could have kissed him without even having to lift up his head. But he wouldn't do that. That wouldn't be right, while Rei couldn't even move away.

"Love… you," Rei sighed. "Hmm… Ruka." Deep asleep again, Rei stopped talking. Leaving it too Ruka to feel so happy it almost hurt.

"I wonder how they are." Gai immediately ran up the stairs and went to Rei's room when they got home. Goh, Shin and Yuda followed at a slower pace, but also hurried. They almost bumped into Gai when the blonde angel suddenly stood still in the doorway. "Aww, cute," Gai giggled.

In the bed, Rei and Ruka were both sleeping, Rei on his back with his face in Ruka's direction, and Ruka all curled around him, holding him tight. Shin noticed that Rei looked far more happy than he had seen him in months. Well, he felt a lot happier himself too, he realized, gently grabbing hold of Yuda's hand. The red haired angel squeezed his hand softly and smiled at him. His eyes were still darkened by guilt, but he also seemed exhausted.

"You might better get some sleep too," Shin remarked. Yuda nodded silently. "Can… can I stay with you?" 'Please let me stay' he begged in his mind.

"I'd really like you to," Yuda admitted. "I don't really feel like being alone right now."

For some reason, that made him feel glad. Yuda needed him. Gently, he pulled Yuda with him to his own room, which was next door. The red haired angel followed without any hesitance. When they reached the bed, Shin felt a bit awkward and uncertain about what to do, but Yuda embraced him tenderly. Before Shin could even turn around, Yuda let himself dropping down on the bed, dragging Shin with him. They landed softly in the bed sheets, and Shin sighed softly.

"Do you… trust me for real?" Yuda asked quietly, his face pressed against Shin's slim back. His voice was trembling slightly.

"Of course I do," Shin replied calm. "You saved Rei's life. And would I have intentionally brought you to my room if I didn't trust you? You could do anything to me you want." He realized to late how suggestive that had sounded, and blushed. This was probably a lot easier for Rei and Ruka, since Rei wasn't even awake. Still, he could imagine how much his friend was going to be blushing once he would wake up in Ruka's arms.

He felt Yuda smiling, even though he couldn't see his face. "Anything? Like… what, exactly?"

"Err, well… you know." Shin sighed and turned to his other side, facing Yuda. "Never mind, that didn't really come out how I meant it." He smiled softly. "You're tired. Go to sleep."

Yuda smiled back at him before closing his eyes. "Don't leave while I'm asleep," he whispered.

"I won't," Shin promised, wrapping his arms around his angel. He wished he had the courage to say what Rei had told Ruka. 'I love you' he thought, but didn't dare to say it out loud. Though he knew for ninety percent sure that Yuda felt the same way, there was that other ten percent that scared him. If he would say it, and Yuda would be embarrassed, their deep friendship would never be the same. As the red haired angel slowly fell asleep in his arms, Shin vowed to him and himself that once, soon, he would tell.

It was already dark outside when Rei finally opened his eyes. His head was still hurting a bit, and he felt strangely warm. Not feverish warm anymore, just… warm. With a soft sigh, still trying to recall the events from the pat day, he closed his eyes again and rolled over to his left side. And felt no pain from his arm. Surprised, he opened his eyes again, and gasped. Ruka's beautiful face was just mere inches away from his own, the arms of the other angel wrapped around him in a close, protective hug. In a flash, all that happened came back to him, and he was wide awake in an instant. "Ruka…" So that why he felt so warm.

His angel looked so tired, his face pale from worry. Would it be wrong to wake him up now? But… Rei had waited so long to get him back, and in the caves he had barely been able to speak to him. "Ruka!" Softly, he shook at Ruka's shoulder. "Hey, Ruka! Wake up!"

"What?" Ruka mumbled, pulling him closer as if he were a teddy bear. "Five more minutes…" Rei couldn't help but to smile at Ruka's innocent behavior. But suddenly, Ruka seemed to realize where he was, and he practically jumped on Rei, his eyes full of worry. "Is something wrong?"

"Eh… no," Rei stuttered, blushing terribly. The way Ruka laid almost on top of him was a bit… awkward. It did feel good, though. Safe, somehow. "I just wanted… just wanted to talk.. Since I missed you so much. I'm sorry I woke you up, but I just couldn't wait until morning." Ruka looked at him, still a bit of worry in his crimson eyes. Finally, he smiled a bit and laid back down, pulling Rei against his chest.

"I thought you were in pain or something," he whispered. "Sorry for jumping onto you like that."

Rei had actually enjoyed it quite a bit, after the initial startle. But he felt too shy to tell Ruka that. "Don't worry about that," he sighed, snuggling even closer to his friend. How long had he been longing for this? This irreplaceable feeling of safeness and love. Ruka's warmth, the touch of his skin, his smell. It wasn't until now that Rei realized that he himself was only wearing underwear. Ruka only wore thin pants. "Did… did you undress me?" he asked quietly, feeling his face getting even more red.

Ruka smiled unsure. "Well, yeah. You didn't look too comfortable, lying here with your clothes on. So…" He seemed to embarrassed to finish his sentence. "I'm sorry, if it bothers you."

"It doesn't!" Rei said quickly. "I was just wondering, that's all."

Ruka tenderly caressed Rei's slender back. "How has someone with such a passion for cooking like you, become so thin?"

"I… haven't been that hungry, that's all," Rei answered vaguely.

"You were depressed," Ruka understood, his voice tainted with guilt. "I'm sorry, it's my fault."

"Stop apologizing," Rei said softly and with a faint smile. "I know there's a lot to talk about, but I'm not angry with you for anything."

"Not even for how I… I almost…" Ruka looked at a spot beside Rei's face. "I almost killed you."

"Ruka…" Softly, his face more red than ever, Rei gave him a soft, quick kiss on his cheek. "Like I told you in the cave, I love you. You regret it, and I know you'll never do such a thing to me ever again. So I forgive you." He laid his hand on Ruka's cheek, forcing the other angel too look directly at him. "Now all you have to do, is to forgive yourself."

Ruka looked at him, exhausted but also a bit happier than moments before. "Maybe I will. Someday." He blinked slowly. "What time is it?"

"I don't know. Somewhere in the middle of the night, probably." Rei smiled when Ruka's eyes slid shut, and the silver haired angel had to shake his head to stay awake. "Shall we go for a walk tomorrow? We can talk all you want then."

"Okay," Ruka mumbled, smiling sleepily.

Rei softly caressed his friend's hair, until Ruka's eyes slid shut and he fell asleep. Warm and comfortable in his angel's arms, it didn't take long before Rei followed. That night, he didn't have any nightmares, and hopefully, he wouldn't have them ever again.

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**Seems like the end of the story… but it isn't! (you're not rid of me yet ;D) Not wondering where Kira and Maya have gone? And what has happened with the demons that were helping Yuda and Ruka?**

**Next chapter will be uploaded in a few days (as always)**


	13. Part II: 1

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute ;3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**There's not that much action in this chapter, it's more meant to start the next part of the story. I hope it's still fun to read it, though ;)**

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Ruka couldn't remember ever waking up more comfortable than that morning. The first thing he felt was Rei's body against his, and his angel's soft breath against his face. He didn't know how Rei managed to be so perfect, but he didn't even have a bad breath in the morning. He smelled fresh and sweet as ever. When he opened his eyes, he saw Rei's beautiful sleeping face, so close that their noses almost touched each other's. And he wasn't that pale anymore, which was a big relieve.

He smiled when he remembered the small kiss his angel had given him last night. It was the first time Rei had done something like that to him, which made it extra special. He felt so lucky for being loved by someone like Rei. So sweet, beautiful and shy. So soft it was barely palpable, he kissed his angel on his lips. Rei stirred a bit, and sleepily opened his golden eyes. "Good morning, sleeping beauty," Ruka said softly. Rei yawned, and smiled a bit, before falling back to sleep. Ruka smiled, and then got an idea. The rest was probably still sleeping, so he wouldn't ran into anyone. "I'll be right back," he whispered. Rei sighed, but didn't wake up.

A few minutes later, Ruka walked back into the room, with in his hands a tray with small slices of bread with butter and jam and two glasses of milk. To find Rei lying on his back, the blanket fallen half to off his body, and his hair sprawled underneath him. So breathtakingly beautiful. And so disarmingly cute. Without making any noise, Ruka put down the tray on a small table against the wall. "Rei," he said, softly shaking his friend's shoulder. "Hey, wake up!"

"Hm? What…" Yawning, Rei opened his eyes. "Ruka?"

"Good morning." He picked up the tray. "I made breakfast for the two of us."

"Good morning," Rei mumbled, still half asleep. When he realized what Ruka had said and was holding, he sat up surprised. "Ruka…" A happy smile appeared on his face, along with a blush. "That's so sweet of you! Thanks."

Enjoying his angel's surprise, Ruka smiled back and sat down next to him. "Let's eat."

Rei took a small bite of his bread. "It tastes good," he praised his friend.

Ruka laughed. "Well, it's nothing compared to your cooking, but thanks." Rei could make perfect gourmet dishes without too much effort, while Ruka had been working on four slices of bread with jam for ten full minutes.

"It's the effort that matters," Rei said, leaning against him a bit.

"Are you still tired?" Ruka asked concerned.

Softy, Rei shook his head. "Just happy to have you back." That smile didn't look like it would leave his face anytime soon. That was one of the, many, things he loved about Rei. That he could be made so happy with such small things as breakfast in bed. Ruka would do anything for him, and Rei probably knew that, but he was still happy even with little things. With a soft sigh, Ruka laid his arm around Rei's slim shoulders. His angel snuggled into him with a soft laugh. "Not that this isn't a nice way to wake up in the morning, but you don't have to try so hard to make me like you again. I never stopped liking you."

"I know, but still. I just need to make you happy, or I'll feel bad." Ruka enjoyed Rei's blush more than he could ever say, and he couldn't help kissing him lovingly on his hair.

A sudden knock on the door startled them both. "Yes?" Rei asked.

Goh came in, with a concerned look on his face. "Have either of you seen Maya and Kira anywhere? They don't seem to be home."

"No," Rei replied, and looked at Ruka.

Ruka realized Rei hadn't left his room since they came back from the caves, so he couldn't even have seen the two half-angels. Come to think of it… "They were already gone when I came here with Rei, yesterday."

"That was late in the afternoon," Goh mentioned. "Gai is already looking for them in the forest. Maya had told him Kira wanted to go there yesterday, probably to find out what we had found out."

"What if they have run into those demons," Rei said worriedly. He sat up strait, no longer leaning on Ruka's shoulder, but the silver haired angel kept his arm around him protectively.

"We'll have to go looking for them as well, but maybe you'd better stay in bed," he said softly to Rei.

"Yuda healed me, I'm fine now." Rei turned to Goh again. "Have you already told Shin and Yuda?"

"Yes, they're already getting dressed. But it might be better if someone stays home, in case they come back," Goh replied.

"But Ruka and me both can fly, so we're better for searching," Rei said without hesitation. It was clear he didn't want to stay home doing nothing, but Ruka kept worrying. As if Rei knew that, he grabbed Ruka's hand and put it on his chest. "You can sense my thoughts, right? So you'll know I'm fit enough to go out searching for them."

Ruka did indeed feel his determination, but also his tiredness. But he knew Rei would be hurt if he'd told him to stay home now. "I'll be close to you all the time, so if you're too tired, just say so," he warned quietly.

Rei nodded. "I will."

Shin stayed at home, waiting if the two half-angels would come back. Yuda clearly wanted to stay with him, but his strength was much more useful for searching. Goh had already left, and Gai was also still searching. So Rei and Ruka left together. "Where will we start?" Rei asked, looking at the silver haired angel.

"The only part where no one else is already searching is the forest near that village." Ruka sighed. "But Kira and Maya should have no way of knowing you guys went there."

"But…" Rei tried to say this without making Ruka feel bad. "What if those demons who you and Yuda were working with, tried to lure them out of revenge? I mean, they must have known that after you two stopped your revenge on Heaven, there would be no way of getting to Shin or me. And Goh and Gay would never have left us for any reason either. But Maya and Kira didn't even know what we found out, so they're an easy target."

Ruka seemed to think for a moment, about what Rei had said. The purple haired angel didn't look at him, scared that his words had hurt his beloved friend. Then suddenly, Ruka laid his hand on Rei's cheek, forcing him to look at him. "This is all mine and Yuda's fault, but we'll save them. Besides, knowing Kira, they might as well have run off again in search of their mother."

Rei shook his head. "Maya would have told at least Gai."

"Probably," Ruka agreed. "We should check out the area around that cave entrance, but…"

Why was Ruka so reluctant to go back there? He could kill the demons with one blow, and Rei was also able to protect himself with Ruka's help. "Why are you trying to not have to go there?" he asked softly.

Ruka bit his lower lip and looked at the ground. "Well… I… We're going to run into the demons, that's for sure. We have to run into them to find out if they did anything to Kira and Maya. But… If they do as much at scratch your skin, I'll never forgive myself, let alone if they'd really hurt you again. You've already suffered enough because of me." Rei just stared at him for a second, a bit shocked about what his friend had just told him. But he should have seen this coming, he had to admit.

Now it was his turn to put his hand on Ruka's cheek and to make him look at him. "I trust you. And I am able to defend myself. When they injured my arm, I was alone and there were so many of them. But if we're together, I feel like I can do anything." Ruka smiled slightly, obviously touched by Rei's declaration. "Besides we have to find those two."

"Okay. Let's go then."

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**This was kinda short, but much more will happen in the next chapter, so that'll probably be longer. I'll update somewhere next week or sooner ^^**


	14. Part II: 2

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute ;3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**This is going to be a short one, sorry…**

* * *

At first sight, no one was there. The circle of dead trees seemed even more abandoned than before, but it still made Rei feel uncomfortable. The last time he had been there, the last time he was conscious while being there, he hadn't gotten Ruka back yet. That feeling of loneliness and hurt was only just gone, and it didn't take much to make it relive again. Almost without noticing himself, he grabbed Ruka's hand. The silver haired angel started flying a little slower, looking at him worriedly. Rei smiled at him to show that he was fine. Though Ruka didn't seem entirely convinced, he didn't push him about it.

"Let's land," Ruka said, softly pulling him with him to the ground. They landed almost soundlessly, trying not to lure out too much unwanted guests. Despite their effort to be quiet, five demons immediately came out of the bushes. Ruka stepped protectively in front of Rei, which made the smaller angel feel a bit useless. Okay, he had been hurt badly a short time ago, but he could fight! Still, he didn't want to hurt Ruka, so he kept quiet.

"Have you done something to our friends?" Ruka asked coldly.

"So what if we did," the biggest demon grinned. "You've betrayed us, you're not our boss anymore."

"Let them go." Ruka took a fighting position, ready to take a blow at the demon.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" the demon asked, his grin growing even more unpleasant.

Suddenly, Rei felt something grabbing his throat and pulling him backwards, away from Ruka. He couldn't look back, but he knew it was a demon. He should have seen that coming! He saw the terror on Ruka's face when e realized he couldn't fire at the demon without hitting Rei. And he also saw the other demons launching an attack on Ruka. "No!" As hard as he could, he pushed his elbows against the demon holding him. It made a hurt sound and let go of him, giving Rei the opportunity to run forward and fire with his angels powers at the other demons. One of them almost managed to hit Ruka, but the silver haired angel reacted just quick enough to destroy the demon. He started to aim at the demon who had capture Rei, but the purple haired angel stopped him.

"If we kill him, we'll never find out where Kira and Maya are," he warned softly.

Anger was still burning in Ruka's eyes, but he stopped his attack. Instead, he walked towards the demon, who was still a bit immobilized from having Rei's elbows in his stomach, and grabbed him by his throat. "Were are they? Answer me now, or you'll go straight after your friends, back to Hell!"

The demon squirmed a bit to get free, but Ruka's grip was too strong. "They're in the same area as where you and the other one were hiding, but inside the forest." He glared at Ruka with so much evilness in his eyes, that it scared Rei. Ruka, however, didn't even flinch.

"Where in the forest?"

"Some deserted town in the North," the demon answered. "That's all I know. But you'll never get them back anyway!"

"Why not?" Rei asked.

"They're being guarded by at least fifty demons, at all times. You'll never be able to defeat them, and free your friends. Unless…" A devilish grin appeared on the demons ugly face. "Unless, of course, you fulfill your part of the deal. Help us to destroy Heaven, and we'll happily let those two go."

"Never," Ruka said, his eyes as cold as ice. "No one is going to get hurt anymore because of me and Yuda, except for you and your friends!"

"Own choice. You'll regret it," the demon hissed.

"We'll free them, and you guys will regret ever touching them." With those words, Ruka squeezed the demon's throat until it blew up in a cloud of black dust. Rei didn't watch, since he didn't want to see Ruka's face while he killed the demon.

"Rei?" Softly, Ruka took his hand. "Are you hurt?"

"No." Rei looked at him worriedly. "Are you?"

Ruka shook his head. "Thanks to you. If you hadn't protected me… Thanks."

Blushing a bit, Rei smiled faintly. "Shall we get the others? We won't be able to fight fifty demons with just the two of us."

"Yes." Ruka hesitantly took Rei's slender hand again. "Can I… can we hold hands while flying? It feels nice."

Rei felt his face coloring an even deeper shade of hot red, but smiled almost happily. To feel truly happy right now would be wrong, considering where Maya and Kira were. He honestly disliked the blonde half-angel, but still, being captured by demons wasn't something he'd want anyone to happen. Grabbing Ruka's hand tightly, he made his shining golden wings appear. "I'd love to hold hands with you."

Together, they flew off. Neither of them noticing the eyes of a few hidden demons looking at them, before quickly jumping inside the cave entrance.

* * *

**Okay, this was… short. But I've been out of town for two days, and because we took the train instead of the car, I couldn't take my laptop with me T-T. Well, my laptop was probably happy with the days off XD**

**Anyway, next chapter will probably be uploaded next weekend ^^**


	15. Part II: 3

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute ;3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**They don't make much progress in finding Maya and Kira in this chapter, they do make progress in… some other matters ;)**

* * *

"Shouldn't we work out a strategy first?" Shin asked, after Ruka had told the rest what the demon had said. "If there really are so many of them, it might be impossible even for us to defeat them."

"But Maya and Kira will be there even longer!" Gai complaint.

"Still, Shin is right. We won't be helping them by getting killed ourselves," Juda said. "We should be quick searching for spells and such, though."

"Can't I go out to spy on them? It might give us more information," Ruka suggested.

"Then I'll go with you," Rei said, immediately.

"But…"

"You can't go on your own."

"But you might get hurt!"

"So can you!"

"Rei…"

"I'm not that weak, Ruka!" Rei said, getting upset. "I'm not as useless as you think."

"Rei, I don't think you're useless." With a guilty face, Ruka took hold of Rei's hand. "I'm just a bit overprotective, I guess. Sorry."

Still a bit hurt, Rei looked away. He didn't withdraw his hand, though. "We've already talked about this." Well, this wasn't the time to discuss these things anyway. "So, can we go spying on them?"

"It might be a good way of finding out their weakness," Goh agreed. "But you two have to be careful, if they spot you… You won't be able to fight them off if you're outnumbered so badly."

"We'll wait here and search the library for spells," Shin said. "We'll discuss a strategy when you guys get back."

"Okay," Ruka nodded. "We'll be back in less than a day."

"Don't try anything stupid," Yuda warned, a bit concerned. "Be careful."

"We won't try to save Maya and Kira by ourselves," Rei promised, though he knew Yuda was more worried about what Ruka might do. He knew, however, that Yuda knew Rei wouldn't let his friend do anything that dangerous.

"Rei?" Ruka asked, a few minutes later. "Can you fly fast enough not to get affected by the magic seal in the cave?"

"Well, probably not," Rei admitted. Ruka saw how reluctant the reply came out, and he had to admit, he understood. He didn't mean to make Rei feel weak, he was just so scared of losing him.

"Shall I carry you?" he offered, careful not to sound like he was overly worried.

"That would help. Thanks," Rei answered with a soft smile. So he didn't mind the offer, luckily. With a relieved sigh, Ruka smiled back at his beloved friend.

"There it is." Quickly, Ruka embraced his friend, his arms tightly around Rei's small waist. Rei immediately put his arms around Ruka's neck, pressing their bodies against each other. Ruka's breathing hitched a bit, at the feeling of Rei's beautiful slender body against him. Before diving into the cave entrance head first, he couldn't stop himself from kissing Rei softly on his hair. He felt more than saw his friend blushing, but he just knew Rei was smiling. "Draw back your wings." Rei did, just in time.

The entrance was pitch black, and Ruka felt Rei tensing. Still, he didn't seem really scared, more a bit worried. And he managed to press himself even tighter against Ruka. "We'll be fine, don't worry," Ruka said softly.

"I know," Rei replied, relaxing a bit.

There was the cave. Ruka concentrated on his timing, knowing that if he would be even a second off, they would hit the ground. Which wouldn't be a good thing, considering their speed at the moment. The world seemed to spin around at the moment they got into the cave and Ruka made a direct 140 degrees turn for the exit, nearly touching the ground. He felt a slight tiredness from the seal's effect, but not enough to slow him down or even reduce his strength. He did hear Rei's nearly inaudible moan, though, and realized how much pressure this was putting on the slender angel's body. He knew better than to reduce his speed, since the magic seal would weaken them both if he did, but he couldn't help whispering in Rei's ear that everything would be fine in a moment.

Just as Rei a few days earlier, though Ruka didn't know that, the silver haired angel shot into the open air with so much speed, it took him an effort to slow down. Carefully, he landed, but Rei wavered a bit and leaned heavily against Ruka. "Sorry, I'm a bit… dizzy," he mumbled.

Ruka moved one arm around Rei's shoulders, leaving his other arm around Rei's waist. "That's logical, after the speed we had in the cave. Do you want to sit down?"

"No, I'll be fine in a moment," Rei answered with a faint smile. Ruka smiled back warmly, and secretly enjoyed how Rei's beautiful body just seemed to fit perfectly against his. They had stood like that for a few moments, when Ruka felt Rei getting a bit tense. Before he got the chance to ask Rei if he was okay, the slim angel suddenly lifted up his head, looking at him with a lot of shyness in his sparkling golden eyes, and his face a bit red. And just as suddenly, he laid his hand gently on Ruka's cheek and kissed him soft, but deeply on his lips.

Ruka felt his own breath hitching at the initial startle, but he returned the kiss almost immediately. Rei tasted so sweet and fresh, like fruit or something. And kissing him was about the most amazing feeling that Ruka ever had been able to feel. "Mm, Rei," he mumbled, without breaking their kiss. Rei might think Ruka was stronger than him and thought of the smaller angel as weak, but right at that moment, Ruka knew that he'd do anything for Rei. Whatever that beautiful, sweet angel would ask him to do, he'd do it without hesitation. Ruka might be stronger in plain power, but Rei was in full command over him, without even knowing it. And considering Rei's loving personality, it didn't worry the silver haired angel at all.

When they finally broke their kiss to breath, Rei's face was more red than ever and his golden eyes were sparkling more than ever. "Ruka… I love you. I love you so much."

"Trust me, you got that message through," Ruka replied, with a soft smile. "And like I've already told you a few times, I love you to." He hugged his beloved tenderly. "I love you more than anything."

Rei sighed. "You're also a pretty good kisser, by the way."

Now Ruka almost blushed. "Well, you're pretty good yourself too."

Another sigh. "We should be searching for the demons and Maya and Kira right now."

"Yes, we should." Ruka reluctantly let go of Rei. "We'll continue this when all is back to normal again," he promised with the sweetest, most warm smile he had ever given anyone.

* * *

**The ending of this chapter was a bit of a spoiler for later chapters XD. You might already realize what the M rating is going to be for…**

**Next chapter will be here somewhere before next weekend^^**


	16. Part II: 4

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute ;3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably will get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**Finally a slightly longer chapter again :D**

* * *

It took them hours of flying to the North, before they finally saw a small town in the distance. "That should be it," Ruka remarked.

"It's going to take days to get there by foot," Rei said worriedly. "The others can't fly."

"We'll think of something. Let's check it out first," Ruka replied, flying down just enough to stay out of shooting range from the ground, in case some demons might notice them. Quickly, Rei followed.

There were indeed a lot of demons crawling around, centered by a big tower. The only one in town, so it seemed, that wasn't a ruin. Maya and Kira were probably inside of the tower, but there was no way of getting inside without having to fight. The only entrance was a small door, and there were no windows at all.

"We should tell the others about this," Rei whispered, scared of the demons hearing them.

"Wait, let's just look from a bit closer," Ruka said.

"But they're going to see us!" Rei warned, but his friend was already flying down. "Ruka!" A bit nervous, he followed again.

"We'll be fine, Rei! Don't be scared so easily," Ruka replied. A bit offended, Rei looked away. From the corner of his eyes, he suddenly saw something small coming their way.

From that moment, everything went really quick. The demons, like Rei had feared, had spotted them and were firing at them with arrows. Ruka dodged the first one, and Rei dodged the following two that were aimed for him. The fourth one, though, almost hit Ruka in his chest. Distracted for a moment, he didn't see the next one coming. "Ruka!" With an almost desperate cry, Rei threw himself in front of his beloved.

The pain was terrible. For a moment, all he could feel was his left leg burning so much, he almost thought it had been cut off. Vaguely, he felt himself falling, but someone caught him. "Rei!" Ruka's voice.

"I-I'm fine," he gasped, forcing himself to open his eyes and stay in the air without Ruka's help. Reluctantly, the silver haired angel let him go, looking at him worriedly. Another arrow was coming. "Watch out!"

Instead of dodging it, Ruka suddenly flew forward, against Rei, pushing him with him. The pain Rei felt in his leg was so bad, he almost screamed. "Hold on!" Ruka yelled. It wasn't until they finally allowed down, that Rei realized they had out flew the arrow. "Rei? Are you…"

"Can we go back now?" Rei interrupted him coldly. "My leg hurts, I don't think I can do another fight." He just didn't want to look at Ruka right now, to see the worried, guilty look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry…" Ruka started, but Rei interrupted him again.

"Don't be! I got hurt again, as always." He heard his own voice tremble. "I really can't do anything good!"

"Rei! Let me finish my sentence for once," Ruka said, grabbing Rei's hand tightly. "You saved me. I'm sorry for being too slow. And I'm sorry for not listening to you in the first place. I never should have insisted on going closer."

Rei just stared at him, making Ruka feel a bit uncomfortable. Because of his Saint Beast power, he could sense Rei's feelings by touching his skin, and he was relieved not to feel any anger. And even more relieved not to feel anything of Rei being angry with himself.

Finally, Rei said something. "Ruka, you got hit too!"

"Eh?" Ruka asked, a bit afoul. Rei pointed at his right side. "Oh, I didn't notice." A long, deep scratch was visible, just below his ribs. Now, Ruka felt the stress coming from Rei, and the worry.

"Why didn't you listen to me? Now we both ended up injured!"

"Next time, kiss me. That should give you full control." It was a weak try to be funny, to lose the tension a bit, but Rei obviously wasn't amused.

"We should really hurry back, or else you'll be to weakened by blood loss to get through the cave quick enough." Tenderly, Rei laid his hand on Ruka's cheek. "You look really pale."

Now he thought about it, he did feel a bit lightheaded. "Yeah, let's hurry." He tried to smile reassuringly, but knew it failed.

Rei smiled back at him anyway, and started flying back, still holding his hand. This time, Ruka was the one who followed, trying to ignore the increasingly cloudy feeling in his mind. Just concentrate on Rei. Then he should be able to stay awake. But he was getting so dizzy. All went dark, except for the beautiful, slim figure of his beloved. The last thing he knew was Rei suddenly looking back as he limped, realizing Ruka was fainting.

"Rei…"

"Ruka… Ruka!" Someone shook him. "Ruka, open your eyes!" That voice.

"Rei?" He forced his eyes open, seeing his friend leaning over him. He vaguely recognized Rei's room, in their home in the human world. "How…"

"You idiot! Why didn't tell me how dizzy you were? You nearly fell down, I could barely catch you!" Tears were visible in Rei's beautiful eyes. "I was so scared when you didn't wake up…"

"I'm sorry." Carefully, Ruka sat up, noticing the wound in his side was fully healed. Must have been Yuda's work. "How did you get us back to here?"

Rei smiled a bit. "Well, I tried to fly as quick as possible through the cave, and I just made it. I… kinda passed out in the front garden of the house, but luckily, Gai looked out the window and saw us lying there." He sighed. "Yuda healed us, and I woke up after a few minutes, but you've been asleep for nearly an hour." He bit on his lower lip. "Now I understand why you don't want me to get hurt. I was so scared while you were sleeping. You were lying so still, I didn't even dare to look away from you."

Ruka smiled faintly. "Rei…" Since he couldn't think of anything to say that would show his feelings, he just embraced Rei and held him tight. Rei immediately embraced him back, snuggling against him as close as possible. Fighting the urge to kiss him, someone might come in and see it, Ruka just caressed his hair. "Thanks for saving me."

"Thanks for saving me all those other times," Rei smiled, pulling his legs on the bed, so he was sitting on Ruka's lap. His cheeks were bright red.

"You're so cute," Ruka whispered in his ear.

Rei blushed even more, but his smile grew too. "You're cute too, especially when you're sleeping."

A soft knock on the door.

"Y-yeah?" Ruka asked, a bit startled.

Yuda opened the door and walked in. "Ruka! I'm glad you're awake. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ruka answered. "I assume Rei had already told what we saw there?"

"I did," Rei replied. "But we didn't want to make a plan until you woke up."

"Well then, could we do that now? Shin, Gai and Goh are already downstairs," Yuda said.

"Sure." Ruka stood up, placing Rei carefully on his feet too.

The other Saint Beast were all sitting around the dining table, but looked up when they saw Rei and Ruka. "Are you both all right?" Goh asked.

Ruka looked at Rei, who smiled at him. "We're fine," Ruka answered. They sat down next to each other, while Yuda sat down next to Shin. The air felt a bit tense, due to what they knew they were going to face soon. After some time, Goh finally said something. "So, should we try to use spells to fight them?" He looked at Shin, who undoubtedly had read most magic books.

"I don't think there are any spells that could kill that many demons, without destroying that tower too. Which means that Maya and Kira would die too," Shin replied. "We could use some spells to make ourselves unnoticeable. Not visible, not hearable, anything. That way we could sneak in and get those two out."

"And then we can use a spell to destroy them," Yuda understood.

"Indeed. But there's one problem. I'm pretty sure there's no spell like that, that'll last longer than a few minutes. They will notice us, no matter what we try. So we'll have to fight off at least a few of them before we can get far enough away to lose a destruction spell," Shin said.

"Ruka and Rei could get us in the air, right?" Gai suggested. "And then we would be all save from the spell."

Yuda looked at the two mentioned angels a bit concerned. "Can you two do that? You would have to keep… six persons in the air, including Maya and Kira, plus yourselves, for at least a few minutes."

"Three per person, that should be manageable," Rei answered. He noticed Ruka giving him a worried glance. "Hey, I'm not the one who's been unconscious for an hour," he muttered.

"I know," Ruka said, with a faint smile.

"So… that's settled then?" Goh asked. Rei nodded. "Then, Shin, could you try to find the best spells to use for this?"

"Sure. It'll take a few hours, though. It'll be late in the afternoon by the time I'm done, if some of you would help."

"I'll help," Rei immediately offered. Ruka and Yuda offered too, just as Gai and Goh.

"Still, it would be better to go tomorrow," Yuda ended the gathering. "In the dark, the demons will have a big advantage."

For some reason, Rei felt glad to have one extra night of sleep before the rescue of the two half-angels. It also meant to be able to spend tonight with Ruka.

* * *

**Okay, that last line came out a bit… wrong XD . But Rei didn't meant it that way, and they won't do that. Yet… ;)**

**Next chapter will be up in a few days^^**


	17. Part II: 5

SUMMARY: Well, this is pretty much what I think might happen after the end of the Saint Beast anime. Ends with the final fight between the Saint Beasts and Yuda and Ruka. Since I love them all too much, there won't be character deaths.

You might notice Rei is sort of the main character. He's so cute ;3

I thought of this story while listening to the song You'll Never Know, by Kingdom Come. It's just as cute as Rei…;)

There are a lot of pairings in this story, but I'll be mainly focusing on the friendship between Rei and Shin, and the love between Rei and Ruka.

In case you didn't notice yet, I love Rei… So he'll probably get lots of trouble in this story *evil laugh*

RATED: M, for what might happen in some chapters.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

**Okay, about their breakfast in this chapter, I don't really know if Rei would make eggs. They come from chicken, after all… But it seemed more suitable before a rescue action than pancakes XD**

**And about Shin getting the paper with the spell out of his pocket, I'm pretty sure their angel robes don't HAVE any pockets, but that was needed for the story. (He had to keep it somewhere, right?)**

* * *

Snuggling against Ruka's body felt safe and warm, as always, and Rei slept well that night. When he woke, his friend still laid against him, arms around his thin waist and looking at him lovingly. "I could hold you forever, you know," Ruka said softly. Blushing, Rei closed his eyes for a moment. He smiled happily, though.

"I could be in your arms forever," he whispered back.

Ruka smiled too, but then his look turned serious. "We should get up, we're leaving early."

"Yeah." With a yawn, Rei sat up. Ruka sat up too, kissing him softly on his cheek. "So, we'll still have decide who carries who after we get Maya and Kira out."

"I… could carry more than three, to make it easier for you."

"No. I might not be as strong as you, but flying is something I can do well." Rei looked him in the eyes, and saw the worry in them. "And otherwise, you'd have much more work than I would, and that would be wrong."

"I'll be there if you need me," Ruka promised. "So, who will you carry?"

"I don't care too much." He thought for a bit. "But… I'd rather not have to carry Kira. For reasons you probably understand." He honestly was scared that, despite the situation, the half-angel would make some unfriendly comment about being carried by him.

"Then can you take Maya, Gai and Shin?"

The lightest ones of the rest. That, he had expected. Well, it would be the wisest not to make it harder for himself on purpose.. "Okay."

After getting dressed, Ruka helped Rei preparing breakfast. Eggs and bacon this time. It tasted good, but they ate in an uncomfortable silence. "Let's do the dishes later," Yuda said. "We'd better hurry."

This time, Rei took Shin and Gai through the entrance, following after Ruka who carried Yuda and Goh. Despite the situation, Rei felt a bit happy about the fact that he managed to almost keep up with the silver-haired angel. The magic seal barely got to them, and they flew on immediately after coming out of the cave. For a moment, they had considered walking, not to put too much pressure on Ruka and Rei, but that would have meant walking for days. That wouldn't only be a lot more exhausting, it would also mean that the demons would have a lot more time to hurt Maya and Kira.

"Rei? Aren't we to heavy?" Shin asked concerned. He was holding on to Rei's left arm, while Gai held the other one. It actually did make his shoulders a bit sore, but it was easily manageable.

"I'm fine," He replied.

"How long is it to that tower?" Gai wanted to know.

"A few hours, I already told that yesterday," Rei answered.

"Geez," Gai growled.

"Anything wrong?" Ruka asked, flying next to Rei with Yuda and Goh.

"No, just…" Gai blushed a bit. "I kinda… forgot to go to the toilet before we left so…" He looked at Rei, almost shy. "Think we could make a short stop by some bushes?"

It took him all his self-control not to laugh at the blonde. "Sure." He looked at Ruka. "Right now?"

Ruka nodded. "I'll be right behind you."

Carefully, Rei flew down until just above the ground, so Shin and Gai could get on their feet safely, before landing himself. It was just as unnatural quiet in the forest like the last time they had been there. Well, at least there were no demons around. "Hurry up," Goh said to Gai, who already ran to some bushes. He was back in a minute, and they traveled on.

"Over there!" Ruka said suddenly, hours later.

They all looked, and Rei recognized the small, ruined village, with the big tower in the middle. "Let's land in the bushes, before they see us," Yuda said. "Then Shin can cast the spell to make us unnoticeable."

Ruka nodded and started to land. Rei went after him, and they hid themselves behind some trees, just far away enough from the village and the demons not to be heard or seen. Shin took a piece of paper from his pocket. "This is the best spell I could find, but it won't work longer than about ten minutes. So we'll have to hurry." He seemed nervous.

Yuda gently laid a hand on his slim shoulder. "You can do it," he said softly.

Shin gave him a thankful smile, and then quickly read the paper. "We'll have to hold hands to make it effect all of us. And it should also effect anyone we touch as long as the spell works. Meaning Maya and Kira will also be affected when we get to them, but one of us should be touching them all the time or we'll be noticed. We will be able to see and touch each other, however."

"Understood," Goh said, and they all took each other's hands. When they were standing in a closed circle, Shin did the spell. There was some weird light, and for an moment, Rei felt like there was some big gust of wind almost blowing him away. But it was only for a moment, and then all was normal again.

Except for Shin, who silently collapsed against Yuda, and let go of Rei's hand, who was standing on his other side. "Shin?" he asked worriedly.

"I-I'm fine," Shin replied, slowly getting back to his feet. "It just takes some energy to cast a spell like that."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Yuda asked, holding an arm around Shin's thin waist to help steady him.

"Yes, I'm sure." With a sigh, Shin stepped away from him, showing that the moment of weakness was over. "Let's not waste time."

Rei didn't entirely believe his friend, and judging by the look in Yuda's eyes, neither did he. But Shin was right, they had a time limit, so they should hurry. "Let's sneak in with some demon," Yuda said, whispering even though the spell prevented them from being heard. Lucky for them, the tower didn't seem like solely a prison, but also a storage building. Meaning there were demons walking in and out occasionally. The guards let them pass without even looking, and the six angels walked in without any problems.

"Nine minutes left," Gai hissed.

"Let's go upstairs," Goh said.

There was a big spiral staircase inside, and every few steps was a door. They all had a small window with bars in front of it, so they only had to ran by them and look inside to find Maya and Kira. Without further discussion, they started checking the doors. They went quick, but Rei noticed Shin falling behind. "Don't wait, go on!" his friend said, when Rei stopped running. "I'll be fine."

Shin was right, they'd come back via the stairs anyway. Still it didn't feel good, running after the rest, while he knew his friend couldn't keep up with them. How much energy had the spell cost him, really?

"Here!" he heard Ruka yell suddenly, standing in front of a door a little further. It was locked, but they saw the two half-angels sitting tied up against the most faraway wall. For a moment, it worried Rei that the two didn't notice them through the small window in the door, but then he remembered the spell.

"It's locked!" Yuda said. "What now?"

"Hoping they won't hear this," Goh replied, and kicked in the door. It fell to the ground immediately.

The two half-angels looked up startled. They didn't seem hurt, and the relieve on their faces was clearly visible when the Saint Beasts untied them. "Gai, don't let go of Maya's hand," Goh commanded, while he held Kira's.

"You two will also be invisible and inaudible, as long as one of us is touching you," Yuda explained. "For the next five minutes, at least."

"Let's go!" Gai yelled, and started running back off the stairs. The rest followed, meeting up with Shin halfway through. Yuda gave Shin a worried glance, but they didn't have the time to talk.

Outside the tower, Rei immediately let Gai, Shin and Maya grab his arms and flew off, while Ruka did the same with Yuda, Goh and Kira.

"One minute left!" Yuda warned. "Shin the destruction spell!"

"Just a little further!" Shin replied, already letting Rei go with one hand to grab the paper with the spell on it.

Suddenly, the demons started to get agitated. "They can see us now!" Kira realized, his voice sounding more scared than Rei had ever heard it. Arrows started flying their way.

"Now, Shin! We can't wait any longer!" Yuda yelled, barely dodging an arrow.

Shin casted the spell. They all felt the power, and saw how the arrows stopped coming. The demons started screaming, while the ruin and the tower were swallowed in a great ball of white light. There was an explosion, which blew them all away, Rei and Ruka barely managing to keep in the air without letting their friends fall. Then, just as sudden as it had came, the explosion was gone. And so were the ruined village, tower and demons.

"It worked," Yuda sighed. "Great work, Shin… Shin?" The tone in his voice changed from relieved to concerned.

Rei suddenly felt how weak Shin's grip on his arm was, and he heard his friend panting for breath. "Shin? Are you okay?"

Without any sound, the blue-haired angel went limp, and his eyes slid shut. Worse, his arm was beginning to slip out of Rei's grip. "Shin!" Rei screamed, but even if it would have woken up his friend, it would already have been too late. Shin fell.

"Shin!" Yuda screamed even louder, realizing that if his beloved friend would hit the ground from this height, not even Yuda's healing would be able to save him.

Without thinking, Rei had already made a decision. He practically threw Gai and Maya at Ruka, knowing his beloved would be capable of keeping them all in the air. Then he dove after Shin, determined not to let him fall. So concentrated on his friend, that he didn't even pay attention to the ground, he caught him. Shin's body was so limp, it scared him. Then, he finally looked down. To see that they were barely a hundred feet from the ground. They were almost touching the treetops.

He could hear Ruka scream his name, but he knew his beloved couldn't save him. Clenching Shin against his body, he used his wings to slow down as much as he could. He knew it wasn't enough to stop them from falling, but it was all he could do. Still, they hit a tree's branch at a fair speed, knocking all the air out of him. Quickly, he withdrew his wings, before he could get them hurt. His head was already spinning, and his body hurt so much he almost wanted to lose consciousness, but he had to protect Shin.

Somehow, he managed to get Shin on top of him, shielding him with his body. Through the leaves and branches, he saw Ruka flying down with the rest of their group. He hit another tree, and he heard more than felt one of his bones snap, but he didn't know which one. Then they finally hit the ground. One of his last thoughts was, that it was lucky that Yuda was with them, with his healing powers. Then he thought of Ruka, that he again would worry his beloved.

Then, his head hit a rock, and all went black.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Sorry… ;) **

**I've been wanting to let Rei save someone in this story for a while, and how he saved Ruka in the last chapter felt a bit short. So I had him save Shin, but not without letting him get himself hurt in the process…**

**Next chapter will be added in a few days^^**


	18. Part II: 6

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

…**can't think of something to say here this time, so on to the chapter ;)**

* * *

"Rei!"Ruka screamed, hearing Yuda screaming Shin's name at exactly the same tone. Both their loved ones didn't respond, Rei laying on his back and Shin laying on his side against him. Neither of them were moving, and their eyes were closed. As fast as he could, Ruka landed and ran to his lover's side. "Rei?" Still no response.

His breathing hitched in shock when he suddenly saw the blood coming from a wound on Rei's head, covered under his hair. Shin didn't wake up either, though he seemed less hurt than Rei. At least, there was no visible blood, except for some scratches, and the fact that the ribbon in his hair had been ripped. "Yuda!" They needed healing, right now. The red-haired angel was already kneeling at Rei's side, carefully kissing his head. Slowly, the bleeding stopped, though Rei didn't immediately woke up. Then he searched Shin's body for any injuries, but couldn't find any.

"Damn…" Yuda hissed.

"What?" Ruka asked. Wasn't it a good thing that Shin seemed to be all right?

"I don't know where he's hurt, so I can't heal it." Yuda's voice was trembling.

"Calm down," Goh said softly, placing his hand on Yuda's shoulder. "He might just be exhausted from casting all those spells."

While Yuda calmed down a bit, Rei finally started to open his eyes. With a dazed look, he glanced at Ruka. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Ruka asked him, caressing his hair tenderly.

"My… back hurts," Rei mumbled. He tried to move, but winced in pain. "H-how's Shin?"

"He's unconscious, but he doesn't seem to have any injuries." Ruka looked at Yuda. "Can you heal his back?"

Yuda nodded and sat closer to Rei. "Where exactly does it hurt?" Rei pointed at a spot halfway his back. "Okay, can you turn to your side?"

Rei shook his head weakly. "Hurts too much. And… I can't feel my legs." Ruka felt his heart freezing for a moment.

"Wait, I'll help." As gently as he could, he turned Rei on his side, making sure his entire body was moving at once, and that his back didn't twist. Despite his carefulness, Rei still moaned softly. His slender hands grabbed the front of Ruka's clothes tightly, as if that would chase away the pain. 'I'm sorry," Ruka whispered, but knowing he had no choice but to hurt Rei to help him. His beloved just smiled at him reassuringly, but didn't speak.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine in a moment." As soft as possible, Yuda kissed the frail angel's back, healing him slowly. Rei moaned a bit when the feeling in his legs returned.

"Rei? Are you okay?" Ruka asked, as soon as Yuda was done.

"Yes. My legs are just still a bit asleep," Rei answered softly, while sitting up. "Yuda, thanks for healing me."

Yuda smiled at him, but then looked at Shin. The blue haired angel was still unconscious, breathing slowly. "Thank you for saving his life. If you hadn't dived down like that, he'd be…" He just couldn't finish that sentence, something Ruka fully understood.

"Shin?" Rei carefully took his friend's hand. Ruka saw Rei's own hand was shaking. "Please be all right."

Shin didn't respond at all. Not that Yuda had expected him to, but it still scared him to see the blue haired angel so weak. "Is… is he okay?" Gai asked suddenly. Yuda looked behind, and saw Goh, Gai, Kira and Maya standing close to each other, like they didn't dare to come closer. "He's out cold. But he doesn't appear to be injured."

A soft groan startled him, and he looked at Shin. The slender angel had opened his eyes, though he didn't seem completely awake. "Shin? Are you hurt?" Rei asked, his voice trembling.

The blue haired angel faintly shook his head. "Just exhausted… from the spells. Did… Did I fall?"

"Rei caught you," Yuda answered, tenderly caressing Shin's hair.

"We should… get out of here," Shin warned. "That spell… only killed the ones in town. But… there are probably more in this forest."

"I'll hold you, but it might be better if Ruka carries us instead of Rei."

With a guilty look in his eyes, Shin looked at Rei. "Were you hurt because of me? I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," Rei replied softly. "Yuda healed me. And besides, I'd rather get hurt myself than to let you fall to your death." He sighed, and turned to Ruka. "But Yuda is right. I'll probably won't be able to carry him, so we'll have to switch a person."

"In that case, you'd have to take Kira," Ruka answered.

The look in Rei's eyes wasn't exactly happy. "Okay," he agreed reluctantly.

Some noise in the bushes made them all look up. "What… was that?" Maya asked, his voice trembling a bit.

"Probably just some animal," Gai replied, but still took a step back.

Quickly, Rei, Ruka and Yuda got back on their feet, Yuda carrying Shin in his arms. Another noise, like something crawling towards them. "That's not an animal," Yuda said quietly. Before he was finished talking, three half-burned demons came jumping out of the bushes, their sharp claws aimed for the angels. Yuda, unable to fight while carrying his friend, could only dodge the attack, while the other Saint Beasts fought back. Rei felt his exhaustion slowing him down, one of the demons actually hitting his left side with its claw. With a painful gasp, he dropped on his knees, but did manage to shoot the demon before he could attack again. Meanwhile, Goh, Gai and Ruka finished off the other two.

"Rei? You're hurt!" Worried, Ruka helped him to stand up.

"It's just a small scratch, I'll be fine," Rei replied.

"Do you need me to heal it?" Yuda offered.

Rei shook his head. "It doesn't really bother me. It can wait until after we get Shin home safely." Ruka didn't seem to agree, but didn't argue either. Luckily.

Despite what he had said, it took him more effort than he had expected to fly off. Maya, Kira and Gai were holding on to his arms, while Ruka flew above them with Goh and Yuda holding his arms, though Yuda only held him with one hand, and used the other to hold Shin's limp body.

"Can't you go faster?" Kira nagged.

"I'm doing my best!" Rei defended himself, trying to keep up with Ruka. The scratch stung a bit, and his body just felt so sore and drained, which wasn't strange, considering the amount of strength he had used today. But Ruka had done the same, and he didn't seemed slower than usual. Therefore, Rei felt he had to keep up with his beloved, not to be the weak one again.

"We're falling behind!" Kira nagged on.

"If it's not good enough for you, you're free to walk back!" Rei snapped.

Kira opened his mouth again, probably to yell something back, but Maya interrupted him. "Please, don't be so mean. He's injured already."

"Alright, already," Kira grumbled.

Rei sighed softly, thankful for the way Maya always could make his older brother shut up. Even though Rei knew he'd never actually let the blonde half-angel walk back to the cave alone, he had been attempted to just refuse to fly on. But there was way too much danger left in this forest to danger everyone by acting childish. Besides, they needed to get Shin home as quick as possible, so he could rest.

The blue-haired angel hung motionless against Yuda's body, with his eyes closed. It wasn't until now, that Rei noticed his friend had lost his glasses. With his untied hair so messy, he looked exactly like one would expect him to look after falling down from the sky. Rei wondered for a moment how he himself looked right now, but decided it might be better not to know. He remembered hitting his head quite hard, and he had seen some traces of blood in his long, purple hair. And his clothes were all dirty, so he probably looked just as bad as Shin.

"There are the caves," Ruka noticed, sometime later. "Rei, can you fly fast enough?"

"Yes," Rei replied. He wasn't sure he was up to it, but he just had to be. So he dove into the cave after Ruka, using all the strength he had left not to be too slow. The scratch felt like it was burning, and he had some trouble not hitting the walls, but he got past the seal without being affected by it too much. The way back up felt harder, somehow. And when they finally got out of the cave, Rei realized he was a lot more tired than he had thought.

The world seemed to spinning before his eyes, and he knew he had to land quickly. "Ruka…" he managed to mumble, alerting the others that something was wrong. Vaguely, he heard them respond. He didn't have the energy to hear what they said, and he carefully started to land. Just in time, he put Gai, Maya an Kira on the ground, but then his wings withdrew and he fell. With a gasp, he closed his eyes, waiting for his body hitting the ground, but suddenly he felt two arms around him, putting him on the ground softly, but holding his upper body. Ruka? No, these arms felt too small. But Gai and Maya could never have caught him without falling themselves.

While he heard Ruka and his passengers landing and running towards him, he slowly opened his eyes a bit. Everything was blurry, and all he saw were colored spots. After blinking a few times, all went a bit sharper, and he recognized the person holding him. "Kira?" he mumbled surprised, his eyes starting to slid shut again.

"Hey, keep your eyes open!" Kira shouted. "Don't faint!"

"Rei? What's wrong?" Ruka leaned over him, his face tense from worry.

"Just tired… I think," Rei mumbled softly. "S-sorry." Everything went blurry again, and he felt himself slipping away. Kira shook him, a bit rough, and his eyes snapped open again. Yuda was also leaning over him now.

"Were that demon scratched you, does it hurt badly?" the red-haired angel asked urgently.

"It burns a little, yeah," Rei replied, a faint panic coming over him. "Why?"

"It might be infected. Let me see it," Yuda answered. Rei moved a bit, allowing Yuda to examine the scratch.

"It's infected," he said softly. "Damn, I should have healed it immediately. Ruka, could you hold Shin for a moment?"

"Sure." Carefully, Ruka took over Shin, who seemed to be unconscious again. Yuda leaned over Rei and placed his lips on the scratch. It healed almost immediately, not even leaving a scar. But Rei still felt weak and dizzy. "It's drained your energy, you'll have to rest to heal completely," Yuda explained.

"Ruka, can you carry all of us? Flying will be quicker," Goh said.

"Yes," Ruka said immediately, handing Shin back to Yuda.

Rei sighed softly, feeling a bit guilty about making his beloved do even more work. But the tiredness finally got the better of him, and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**I'll try to end next episode with Rei actually being awake… And Kira was the one to catch Rei because I wanted him to do something nice, for once in his life XD**

**Will update in a few days^^**


	19. Part II: 7

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R :)

**This chapter may be a bit boring, but it's needed to end the past events of the story. I hope it'll still be fun to read it, though^^**

* * *

With his face against something soft and warm, he woke up. What happened? Slowly, it came back to him, about the infected bite and everything. He let out a soft sigh, and frowned a bit. Unbelievable that he had worried Ruka yet again. Well, at least Maya and Kira were safe. And how about Shin? Something moved underneath him, startling him a bit. With a soft groan he opened his eyes, and looked right into to those of Ruka. "R-Ruka. I'm so sorry."

"Hey, it's not your fault," Ruka replied, smiling softly. "I'm glad you're awake. Even though…" He didn't seem to dare finishing that sentence, staring past Rei at a spot on the ceiling.

"Though…what?" Rei asked, a bit unsure. Though it was easier having him asleep? Though he felt more free when not having to watch out for Rei?

"You… you look amazing when you're asleep. That's why I laid down in bed with you. I just wanted to hold that beautiful body of yours so badly." Rei saw the silver-haired angel was blushing, though Ruka looked away in an attempt to hide it. It looked cute on him.

"Eh, thank you," he whispered, feeling his cheeks turning bright red. "But… how is Shin doing?" The blue-haired angel had seemed so terribly exhausted, not even being able to stay conscious.

"He's still sleeping, but Yuda is with him, so he should be fine. Like said, he wasn't injured, so it's just the lost energy from casting those spells, that his body has to heal from."

Rei sighed and wiped his hair out of his face. "That's a relieve." He felt Ruka also sighing, and now finally realized fully that he was laying on top of his beloved. "Oh, sorry!" He started to get off him, but Ruka embraced him gently, holding him in place. "Ruka?"

"Like I said, I love holding you," his beloved said softly. "Besides, I can see you're still tired. Knowing you, you'd want to help too much and overexert yourself if you'd get up now."

"I am still tired," Rei admitted. "And my legs are still a bit stiff. But I really want to see Shin, even if he's sleeping. I… I felt so guilty when he fell."

"You caught him, right? So there's nothing you should feel guilty about."

"Still, I'd really like to see him." It would at least reassure him a bit that his friend was going to be all right.

"I'll come with you, but after that, you have to go back to bed."

"I promise I'll go back to bed," Rei said, already sitting up. This time, Ruka let him, and quickly got out of bed first so he could help Rei. No matter how much it embarrassed him to be helped like this, Rei had to admit he would have had trouble keeping his balance, if Ruka wouldn't be here to steady him. And, besides the practical usefulness, having Ruka's arm around his slim shoulders also made him feel good. Really good. Though he knew trouble wasn't over yet, with the problem of Yuda and Ruka still being banned, and knowing it was just a matter of time before Zeus would interfere, Rei didn't want to think about any of that right now. The feeling of having Ruka by his side was just too precious to spoil it with thinking about those things.

When they got to the door of Shin's room, Ruka knocked quietly.

"Come in," Yuda's voice sounded, just as quiet.

Ruka opened the door and walked in, his arm still around Rei's shoulders. The frail purple-haired angel breathed out with relieve when he saw Shin lying in bed, Yuda sitting on the edge of it, holding his hand. He was still asleep, but his face wasn't pale anymore, and he looked fine. Rei walked closer, holding on to Ruka. Now the stress was gone a bit, his legs suddenly felt like jelly.

"Rei? How are you feeling?" Yuda asked worriedly.

"A lot better, only a little tired," Rei answered, trying not to sound to sleepy.

He didn't try hard enough, obviously, since Yuda immediately moved a bit, hinting Rei to sit down next to him. "You might better sit down before you fall," he said. "And… Shin dreamed a few minutes ago. It seemed like it was scary, and he was mumbling your name. I think he's worried about you."

"A-about me? But he's the one who fainted," Rei said, almost defensive. Ruka sat him down on the bed anyway, so there wasn't much to complain.

Shin didn't respond at all, sleeping peacefully. Carefully, Rei caressed his friend's soft hair. Now, Shin sighed softly. "Mmh… R-Rei?" he mumbled.

"Shin? Are you awake?" Rei asked, his hand still on Shin's head.

"Shin, please open your eyes," Yuda begged.

Slowly, Shin opened his eyes, and it only took a few seconds before he was fully awake. "Rei? Are you okay?"

For a moment, Rei only stared at him. "Shin, you've just woken up! Are _you _okay?"

"I'm fine." Shin looked at Yuda. "You... were with me I was sleeping?" Yuda nodded, and Shin smiled faintly. "It felt safe. I was just worried about Rei, still. The last thing I remember is passing out after that destruction spell, and I knew my hand was slipping, but I just couldn't hold on any longer."

"Everyone is save now, that's the most important thing," Rei said softly. "And Yuda was there, so my injuries could be healed immediately. You weren't hurt, luckily." He didn't say anything about the demons and the infected bite wound, and he hoped the others wouldn't tell Shin about that either. He didn't want to worry his friend while he was obviously still not back to a hundred percent, and he didn't want him or Yuda to feel guilty. He could tell from the way Yuda was careful in his nearness, that the red-haired angel still felt guilty about not healing the bite wound directly after it had happened. No need to bring it up again, and if Shin didn't know, he couldn't feel guilty about it at all.

"Rei?" Shin mumbled sleepily.

"Yes?"

His friend sighed deeply. "I can't thank you enough… for catching… me." His eyes slid shut.

"You're welcome. Now sleep, you need to rest." Rei said, just before Shin's breathing evened out and he fell asleep.

"You need your rest too, Rei," Ruka whispered, to not wake the blue-haired angel.

Rei nodded. "I'll go back to bed." Slowly, he stood up, nearly collapsing against Ruka. The silver-haired angel immediately embraced him, and Rei closed his eyes for a moment. "Mmh… I guess I'm more tired than I thought." He got back his balance and stepped out of Ruka's embrace. "I'm fine, really."

Back in his room, Ruka pulled Rei in a tight embrace again. He felt the purple haired angel relaxing under his touch. "I love you so much," he whispered in Rei's ear. Before his beloved could respond, Ruka pressed his lips against Rei throat, kissing it tenderly. He felt the frail angel tensing a bit, and quickly withdrew. "Sorry, I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, I just…"

"Ruka," Rei whispered breathlessly. "Don't stop." He lost his balance again, grabbing Ruka's shoulders not to fall.

"Hey, are you all right?" His entire body seemed screaming for Rei's, but he knew he couldn't tire his beloved even more, let alone hurt him by moving their relationship too fast.

"I told you, I'm just…" He yawned. "…a bit tired."

"Rei… I love you in so many ways, and I want to in so many more ways. But right now, can I just hold you until you're asleep?"

"That would be great," Rei mumbled, a blush coloring his face.

With a soft smile, Ruka led him to bed. Rei didn't get in, though.

"Could you sit in it first? Then I can lie on your lap."

"Eh, sure," Ruka agreed. He took of his shoes, shove away Rei's pillow a bit, and sat down with his long legs stretched and his back against the wall. Rei sat down on Ruka's upper legs, resting his head on his lover's chest. His body was so light, almost weightless, and Ruka wrapped his arms tightly around the slender angel in his arms. Rei's lower legs laid between Ruka's, so he could easily pull up the blanket over both of them. With a content sigh, Rei closed his eyes.

"You're warm," he mumbled. "Ruka?"

"Yeah?"

"Well… does it… comfort you to be with me? Like you do to me?" Rei's face was even more red than the deep crimson of Ruka's eyes.

"Of course it does. Your body, your warmth, everything about you makes me feel so lucky to have you."

"Then…" Rei smiled shyly. "When Shin and me are both okay again, and if Zeus let's you and Yuda return to Heaven… I think I'd be ready to get even closer."

Ruka felt his face turn almost as red as Rei's. Did the frail, beautiful angel really mean what Ruka thought he meant? Or was it just his own desire, that made him think so? "You… you mean…"

"What else?" Rei whispered, his eyes still closed. "I trust you completely, even enough to… do that."

"Rei…" Ruka whispered, feeling how Rei's breathing evened out as he fell asleep. Though the feeling of his lover's warm, soft body did indeed calm him, he couldn't help worrying about the future. About their future. They may be happy for now, but fact was that Zeus could sent him and Yuda back to Hell any moment. If that were to happen, if he would have to go through that again, he didn't know for sure if even Rei would be able to save him.

The best thing they could do, was to talk to Zeus as soon as possible.

* * *

**I promise there will be more action in the following chapters! Yuda and Ruka **_**are**_** gonna have to do something to be allowed to stay with their friends, right? ;)**

**I'll update in a week or sooner^^**


	20. Part III: 1

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

* * *

"Rei?" After hearing his lover's voice, the purple-haired angel felt a soft kiss on his lips. Sleepily, he opened his eyes to see Ruka leaning over him. The silver-haired angel smiled, but still seemed a bit stressed. "Are you still tired?"

"No, not really," Rei answered, rubbing his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

Ruka looked at him surprised. Then he chuckled. "Am I that easy to read?" Rei looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. Ruka sighed. "While you and Shin were still sleeping, we've been informed that Zeus wants to see us. All six of us."

"Is… that a good or a bad sign?" Rei asked. "Why not only you and Yuda?"

"I don't know. Maybe because we've been living with you four again. Or he might have some other reason." He sat down on the edge of the bed, and Rei immediately embraced him softly. "I just wish I knew whether it is a good or a bad sign."

"Well, at least we'll all be there," Rei said quietly. He'd rather be punished along with his beloved, than to lose Ruka again.

With a deep sigh, Ruka leaned against him for a moment, before standing up. "You should get dressed. Goh and Gai are already downstairs, making breakfast."

"Is Shin fit enough to walk already?" Rei asked worriedly.

"According to Yuda, he is. And we're all here to help both of you."

"I'm fine, so you don't need to help me," Rei said softly. "You've got enough to worry about already." In silence, he got dressed. Just when he wanted to start brushing his hair, Ruka laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Did it ever occur to you that I might want to worry about you?" Ruka whispered in his ear. "That I need something to keep my mind of other things?"

"Ruka…" Slowly, Rei turned around, facing his lover. Without saying anything else, he embraced the taller angel and kissed him deeply on his mouth. He felt Ruka relaxing in his arms and kissing him back just as passionate. Reluctantly, they broke the kiss when the need to breathe was really becoming necessary.

"That… was amazing," Ruka sighed, his cheeks slightly reddened.

Unable to say anything, Rei just smiled at him, also blushing. _Please Zeus, don't take him away from me again…_

A soft knock on the door startled them both. "Ruka, Rei? Are you almost done? Breakfast is ready." Yuda's voice.

"We'll be right there," Ruka replied, while Rei quickly started brushing his hair.

Breakfast went quick and silent. Even Gai wasn't talkative at all, and Maya and Kira were almost more quiet, while the last two hadn't even been summoned by Zeus. Al that was said, was Rei asking Shin how he was feeling, and Shin replying that he still felt somewhat tired but otherwise all right. Ruka had barely heard that short conversation, too stressed out to even eat. He did notice that Yuda didn't seem to do any better, looking just as tense and scared.

No wonder. If Zeus would decide to put them back in Hell, they would surely not be able to escape another time. Still, he just had to believe it was a good sign that they all had to come. It was almost certain that they would be punished, but if all six of them got punished together, it could never be so bad. On the other hand, that would mean Rei had to suffer too. The harsh truth was, Rei would have to suffer either way. If not by punishment, he'd be suffering by losing Ruka again.

"Let's do the dishwashing when we get back here, or we'll be late," Goh said after everyone had finished eating.

Reluctantly, they got on their way to Zeus.

Rei could barely believe it. What reason had Zeus to do this? Why was this his decision about them? Well, not that he would complain. Actually, they all walked out of the large room as fast as they could. Ruka softly touched Rei's hand with every step they took. They all were still trying to believe what had been said.

They didn't even had to explain anything, Zeus had just told them he had seen everything from the moment that the angels had fought each other in the caves in the caves. Including how they had worked together to save Maya and Kira. Therefore, Yuda and Ruka wouldn't get sent back to Hell. However, there was an "if". The two would be allowed to stay with their friends, and return to Heaven, but only if they'd go on a quest. All six of them. Would they fail, then they'd all be banned from Heaven.

The quest itself was pretty simple. To retrieve a gemstone from a far away mountain. The hard part was the journey, which went through caves and woods, and through Heaven, Earth, and even Hell. They would have to prove that they could work together and help each other, but also their ability to survive in any situation. If they'd fail, it wouldn't be just their home in Heaven that they'd lose.

They had a month to fulfill this task.

"We might better do some research before leaving," Shin said quietly.

"Indeed. It's best if we know what we're going to have to face," Yuda agreed.

"Shouldn't Shin and Rei get some more rest before we go on that quest?" Gai asked worriedly.

"We'll be fine by the time that the research is done," Shin replied, before looking at Rei. "Right?" Rei nodded.

"So when will we leave?" Goh asked.

"In two or three days," Shin replied.

* * *

**SORRY!!! This chapter was way too short, and I know it wasn't written well either :( But I've been busy with school and work last week, so I didn't have a lot of time to write. Next chapter will be longer and way better, I promise ;)**

**I'll update in a week^^**


	21. Part III: 2

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R

…**I just remembered this whole fanfic was supposed to end with the six Saint Beasts getting back to each other LOL. **

**Anyway, I recently read the real story as told on the drama-cd, and I realized this fic has become a bit AU-ish. So hereby, sorry too people who have listened to the drama cd. And to people who (like me) can't speak Japanese, ****you can find the whole story + some awesome pictures here *warning: contains spoilers*: http:// yukiya-ayase. livejournal. com/890. Html (just take out the spaces)**

* * *

In silence, Rei cleaned up the dishes they left after breakfast, while Shin and the rest already went to the library to do research about where they would be heading. He actually had hoped that one of his friends would help him with it, so he wouldn't be alone, but it was understandable that the research was the most important thing right now. Still, being all by himself, made his thoughts go to places where he'd rather to let them go. Like the road to the mountain where that gemstone was supposed to be. And especially that small part which they'd have to travel through Hell.

It wasn't himself he was worried about. Actually, it were Ruka and Yuda. It wasn't the same part of Hell where the two had been trapped, but still it would be recognizable as Hell. Being a lot closer to Ruka than to Yuda, he didn't know how the red-haired angel would hold up against the feeling of being back there again. But he did know for sure it would be hard on both of them, and he honestly didn't know for sure if Ruka would be able to face it without being overwhelmed by the terrors. His beloved wasn't weak at all, but wouldn't the trauma of what he'd been through give him trouble? And would Rei be able to help him?

Well, this quest wouldn't be a quest if it were to be easy, right? After all, the whole point was to prove to Zeus they were not only good enough themselves, but also as a team. They would succeed. They just had to.

"Rei?" a voice asked.

A bit startled, Rei turned around, nearly dropping the wet, soapy plate he was holding. Behind him stood Maya and Kira. "Yes?"

"What did Zeus say?" Maya asked shyly. Kira added; "Since no one ever tells us anything important."

"We, the six of us, have to go on a quest to prove we're worth of being in Heaven. If we succeed, Ruka and Yuda will be able to return forever."

"And… If you don't?" Kira asked, almost worriedly.

Rei sighed. "Then we'll all be banned from Heaven, and we'll have to stay here on Earth." He didn't tell them that failing would probably be getting killed on their way. Kira was right in a way, since they were living together, the two half-angels had a certain right to know what was going on. But that didn't mean Rei had to worry them more than necessary, since there usually was no way they could help. Especially in this case. "We'll probably be fine. The others are already in the library to read about the way to where we have to go, to be able to figure out a strategy."

"But where do you have to go?" Maya asked. "Will we be alone here for long?"

"We got a month, so we'll have to be back before that. And we have to go to some far away mountain to retrieve an ancient gemstone." Better not to be too specific, before those two would do something stupid like trying to follow them to there. This was going to be hard enough, so having to protect these two would be too much. Besides, if he would be the one to give them too much information, and they'd get themselves hurt or worse because of it, he'd most likely never forgive himself.

"Geez," Kira said, sounding a bit annoyed. "Well, you all better be careful!"

Rei gaped at him in surprise. Kira being worried about them? All of them including Rei?

Kira noticed his surprise and quickly turned his gaze to the floor, blushing a bit. "Not that I'm really worried about you! Not much."

"Thanks. And… also thanks for catching me, after I fainted when we were on our way back to here, two days ago," Rei muttered, feeling his own cheeks also becoming red. Two days, it had felt like much less time. Well, it was probably because he had been asleep, most part of it.

"Y-you're welcome," Kira muttered. "Err, we have to go now, right Maya?" With that, the blonde half-angel walked out of the kitchen, pulling his younger brother along with him.

Despite everything, Rei couldn't help but too chuckle softly. Kira being shy. Well, that was one thing he didn't got to see every day. Carefully, he dried the last plate, which he had been holding all that time they had been talking, and put it back on a shelf. It was the last one, so he moved on to cleaning the sink and the dining table. When the room was all tidied up again, he sighed deeply and went to the library to help his friends.

"Rei, could you help me over here?" Shin asked immediately, from behind a huge pile of books. "These books are all about the places we'll have to travel to, and it also mentions the creatures living in it. Besides gathering information, we have to make a list of potentially dangerous creatures, so Yuda and Ruka can search those books for more info about them, and ways to avoid or defeat them." On the other table, Yuda and Ruka were searching from lists through an equally large pile of books. "And Gai and Goh are collecting and returning the books."

"All right," Rei said softly, not to disturb the other two reading angels, and sat down on the chair next to Shin. His friend shove a few pieces of paper, a pencil and a list to him.

"These are half of the places we need to do research about, I'm doing the other half. Just write the treats down on the other papers." The blue haired angel sighed. "Trust me, you're going to need all that papers."

"That many demons?" Rei asked worriedly, noticing the number of lists on Ruka and Yuda's table.

"Not just demons. Also some curses, and some things pointed out as legend or folktale, but even some of those might be truth. A lot of these books were written by humans."

Rei sighed, and grabbed the book on top of the pile. He actually had to stand up to reach it. After nearly 3 hours of reading and occasionally standing up to drop a list of creatures on Yuda and Ruka's table, the words started to become a bit blurry before his eyes. "Shin?" he asked softly, but getting no reply at all. A bit concerned he looked at his friend, but the blue-haired angel was leaning over a book, leaning on the table with one elbow, and his hair hung alongside his face, so Rei couldn't see it.

"Shin, are you okay?" he asked again, a little louder this time. From the corner of his eyes, he say Yuda looking at them alarmed. Carefully, Rei wiped the long hair behind, over Shin's shoulder. The other angel immediately looked up startled.

"I wasn't sleeping!" he said, blushing a bit. "I was just… a bit tired. Sorry." With a guilty look on his face, he turned his gaze towards the table and the books. "I shouldn't fall asleep while you're all working."

"Oi, don't worry about it," Yuda said, from the other table. "Your body is still trying to regain all the energy you lost by casting those spells."

Shin smiled faintly at the red-haired angel, but still didn't look completely reassured. Softly, Rei laid his hand on Shin's thin arm. "You're not the only one who is tired. If you feel like you need a break, say so. You've been telling me that a lot recently, so try to follow your own advice for once."

Now, Shin really smiled. "Okay. But I'm fine now, so don't worry."

They all got back to their work, though now Rei was feeling like he could fall asleep any moment. Not that some of the books weren't interesting, but who could learn from books for hours, without getting sleepy? Well, he couldn't. After another few minutes, he suddenly felt his head leaning on the table, and realized he had actually fallen asleep without noticing it. Though, unlike Shin, he hadn't managed to stay sitting relatively straight. In fact, he now realized his cheek had been lying on the pages of the book he had been trying to read.

Blushing, he sat up, but apparently only Shin had noticed him. "You… might want to go wash up your face," his friend chuckled.

"What… why?" Rei asked afoul.

"The letters of the book. The ink has stained your cheek a bit." Shin sighed. "It's almost evening, so it might be better if we all stop searching for today. If we search on while we're already tired, we might miss something important."

"That's true," Yuda agreed. The other four didn't complain either.

"Then I'll go wash up, and then prepare dinner," Rei said quietly, hoping for someone to offer him some help.

Luckily, Ruka did. "I'll assist, if that's all right with you?"

"It is," Rei replied happily. "Thank you." Ruka smiled faintly at him, and Rei quickly left for the bathroom.

* * *

**This one was longer (and hopefully better) than last one. And btw, ever tried singing along with 80's music, and writing a story at the same time? It. Is. Hard. XD Well, they say women are supposed to be able to multi-task…**

**Anyway, next chapter will be here in a few days, 'cause I've decided to make myself write 500 words per fanfic every day. And it works :D (well, mainly because I'm only doing 2 fics right now)**

**See you next time^^**


	22. Part III: 3

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

* * *

Though Rei enjoyed Ruka's company while he was cooking they both didn't speak much. "I… I wonder if he's really fit enough for this quest," Rei said eventually, referring to Shin. Their friend was in his room, sleeping again.

"I don't know," Ruka sighed. "But…" He glanced at Rei, and the purple-haired angel knew what was coming. "I'm also still worried about you."

"We'll all have each other," Rei replied softly but short, hinting Ruka not to bring that subject up again. "But about Shin, maybe we'd better split the spells, if we have to use any. That way, we'd share the burden."

"Yes. But let's bring that up when we'll discuss about our strategy, not during dinner. Assuming that we won't finish the research sooner than tomorrow evening, this is our second last dinner together before we'll have to go."

Startled at his words, Rei turned around, a pan still in his left hand. "We're going to make it, right? If we work together, we can do anything!" Ruka smiled at him, and Rei realized how weird he must look. Blushing a bit, he put the pan down on the stove. "Don't you think we can make it?"

"Of course I do," Ruka sighed. "But don't tell me you're not at least a tiny bit afraid."

Rei just glanced at him, before looking away. Should he tell his beloved what he was really worried about? Or would he hurt Ruka's feelings for not trusting him completely? But, then again, Ruka might be able to reassure him if he just spoke up. "That… part. Where we'll have to travel through Hell." He just couldn't face his friend, so he turned back to the stove. "Won't it be hard for you and Yuda to be there again? I mean, not that I think you're weak, but…"

He abruptly stopped talking when he felt two strong arms embracing his slender waist from behind, and Ruka's head on his shoulder. "I can't tell you what it'll do to me, but as long as you're with me I know I can get through it," he whispered in Rei's ear, his voice so soft and warm it made the smaller angel shiver from emotion. He wasn't so eager to say out loud which emotion, though.

"Ruka…" he started, but his beloved suddenly kissed him on his neck, and his words came out as a groan. "Stop… before someone comes in and sees us."

"Sorry," Ruka mumbled, a slight disappointment in his voice. "I didn't mean to embarrass you." With those words, he let go of Rei.

"That's not it!" Rei said, turning back to Ruka so quickly, he almost tripped. "I just think we have more important things to have on our mind right now. Like making sure we actually can stay together."

Ruka smiled faintly. "That's true. But you're so beautiful, I sometimes just have to touch you, if even for a moment."

Feeling his cheeks turn bright red, Rei closed his eyes and leaned back against his beloved. "And I love being touched by you, Ruka. But we have to concentrate on what we're going to face. Don't forget what I promised, about getting even closer. That'll only be if we'll succeed on the quest."

"Hm…" Ruka mumbled, his face buried in Rei's hair. "In that case, there's no chance in the world that I'm going to give up."

"Me neither," Rei whispered. Ruka's hot breath against his neck had more effect on his body than he wanted right now, so he softly stepped out of his beloved's embrace. "Let's finish making dinner, it's getting late."

"All right."

Dinner went in silence. Even though, as always, Rei's cooking was perfect, no one was in the mood to eat much. Shin looked exhausted, his face pale and the look in his eyes distant. Yuda was only paying attention to his friend, carefully touching his arm every time it looked like the blue-haired angel was going to fall asleep. Ruka's mind also seemed to be far away, but Rei knew this wasn't out of tiredness, as his mind was at the same thing. The piece of Hell they would have to travel through. Goh, Gai, Maya and Kira seemed to be just to stressed to eat.

After dinner, Gai and Maya went to watch television, in an effort to relax. Kira went with them. Goh, Yuda and Ruka went to do some fighting practice, before it would get too dark outside, probably also to get their mind of things. Rei stayed alone in the kitchen to do the dishes. Where Shin went, he didn't know. He assumed his friend had gone to his room to sleep again, until he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Whoa..!" Startled, he turned around, a sponge still in his hand. "Shin! I didn't hear you coming," he mumbled, a bit ashamed.

The blue-haired angel smiled weakly at his reaction. "Sorry. I just wanted to ask if you have some spare time after you're done with this. I'd like with you about something."

"Sure. But aren't you too tired?" Rei asked worriedly.

"Maybe a bit," Shin admitted, without looking at him. "But… what I want to talk about..." His voice trailed off.

"You're… worried about the part through Hell too?" Rei asked softly.

Shin nodded. "But we'd better only talk about that in private."

Rei agreed. They didn't want Ruka and Yuda to know how worried they were, but also didn't want Maya and Kira to find out where they were heading. The first two would feel guilty, the second two would maybe try to follow them in a desperate effort to help. Neither of those would be a good thing.

"Then, I'll just finish this off," Rei said. "Why don't you sit down for the meantime?"

"No, I'll help," Shin replied. In a few minutes, all the dishes were done. "Shall we go to my room?"

"Okay."

A bit awkward, they sat next to each other on Shin's bed, right in front of the window. From here, they could just see Ruka, Yuda and Goh practicing outside. The sun, already lowering from the sky, made Ruka look more beautiful than even, Rei thought.

"Will we be able to get them through without problems?" Shin asked softly, glancing sleepily at their friends outside.

"I… I wish I knew. But Ruka said he knows he can, as long as I'm with them. Isn't it the same with you and Yuda?"

"I don't know," Shin sighed. "I haven't spoken with him about it. He's still so worried about me, since I fainted, so I don't want him to have a feeling of guilt added to that."

"But won't you both feel better when you've spoken with each other about it?" Rei asked. "I felt a lot better once I had talked with Ruka, and I'm sure he feels better to, knowing I'll take care of him."

"That's true," Shin admitted. "I guess I'd better speak up when he gets back here." He blinked slowly. "If I can stay awake until then, that is."

"I can keep you company, if you don't mind," Rei offered, with a faint smile. "I don't really want to be alone right now, I'll keep thinking and worrying about things." That was an understatement. He'd downright panic if he would have hours of time to be thinking about what dangerous thing they were going to face. And all the ways he could lose his beloved Ruka in the process. Having thought to lost him when he was trapped in Hell, would seem great compared to actually having lost him to death.

Shin, most likely having the same thoughts, nodded slightly. "All right." A bit worried, Rei looked at his friend's pale face and tired look. Well, not that he was feeling too fit himself, but still. Hopefully their friends would be done practicing soon. Even if Yuda wouldn't return to Shin's room immediately, Rei could just go downstairs to tell him Shin wanted to talk. Getting the red-haired angel out of his practice to come talk would make it seem way too serious, and Shin would seem weak. Besides, Rei knew that his friend didn't want to interrupt Yuda, just like Rei didn't want to be a burden to Ruka.

"Why don't you rest for a bit, and then I'll wake you when they come back to the house," Rei suggested.

"But then, won't you be alone? In a way." Shin looked at him worriedly, making Rei wonder if he might look as bad as his friend did. "You look just as tired as I feel." Okay, that answered his unspoken question quite accurately.

"Yes, but what if they keep practicing until it's night? Then you'll barely get any sleep tonight, and…"

"You need your rest just as much," Shin protested. "And I'm the one who asked you to come talk, so I can't make you stay up late for my sake."

Rei just sighed, too tired to argue. "Then, let's just hope they'll return soon."

Shin silently agreed with that, but dropped down on his back just a few minutes later. Rei, half asleep himself, startled awake by the movements of the mattress. Worried, he looked at his friend, but saw that he had only fallen asleep. Well, so much for the staying awake together. Not that he really minded. Though he had to admit, sleeping was contagious, especially when you're tired to begin with. Allowing himself to lay down next too Shin, he closed his eyes, figuring that it wouldn't matter for just a moment. He drifted off to sleep instantly.

When Yuda and Ruka looked for Shin and Rei, a few hours later, they walked by Shin's room first, since that one was closest to the stairs. And neither of them could avoid being affected by the sight of their two loved ones, sleeping next to each other peacefully. A short glance through the window was enough to tell them that these two had been watching during the others' practice.

"Should we wake them?" Ruka whispered to Yuda.

"Let's just wait for a moment," his friend whispered back, carefully sitting down on the bed, next to Shin.

Ruka smiled, knowing what his friend meant, and sat down next to Rei. Just watching those two was calming. And he couldn't deny, they looked really cute right now. Both sprawled on their backs, breathing deep and slow, and Rei's mouth hung a bit open. Softly, Ruka started caressing Rei's silky hair, while Yuda did the same with Shin. The two sleeping angels stirred a bit and slowly opened their eyes, both looking directly at the person sitting next to them.

"Ruka?" Rei mumbled, while sitting up. "Oh, I must have fallen asleep."

"Me too," Shin sighed, with a faint smile. "Oops." He sat up too, though a bit slower than Rei had.

"Why were you even waiting? You both need your sleep," Yuda commented, with a concerned glance at Shin.

"That's because… I just want to talk with you," Shin answered softly.

"Sure, but let's all get ready for sleep first. The two of us can talk in bed after that," Yuda replied.

"Good idea. Rei?" Ruka offered his beloved a hand, helping him to stand up. Rei seemed to be not quite awake, and Ruka gently put an arm around the slender angel's shoulders. His beloved leaned against him with a yawn. Ruka couldn't help but too chuckle at how cute a sleepy Rei was. "Can you walk back to your room or should I carry you?"

Rei's look turned a bit defensive, and Ruka feared for a moment that his beloved thought of him as overprotective again. To his surprise, Rei suddenly threw his arms around the other's shoulders. "Carry me. Piggyback-style."

"Wha…" Well, it was already a rare thing that Rei actually wanted to be carried by him, so why be picky? "Sure, jump on."

Rei smiled sleepily and did as he was told. With his legs wrapped around Ruka's waist and his arms around Ruka's neck, he closed his eyes again.

"Well, goodnight then," Ruka said to Shin and Yuda. The two replied simultaneously, and Ruka left for Rei's room. The slender body that he was carrying on his back still barely weighed anything more than it had that day after they had fought each other. Then again, it wasn't like Rei, or anyone of them, had gotten any time to relax since then. It still worried Ruka, though.

"It's not like you're that fat, you know?" Rei suddenly mumbled, his eyes still closed.

"I know," Ruka admitted. "But… you're like my… boyfriend or something… so…" Since when did he stutter like that? Blushing, he looked at the floor.

Rei chuckled. "So you're supposed to take care of my weigh? I think I might be better fit for that job."

"You're cooking is great, undoubtedly. But you should eat more from it," Ruka said softly.

Rei sighed deeply. "I know. I will, once this is all over and everything is back to normal again."

"Okay," Ruka mumbled. In the meantime, they had gotten to Rei's room, and he softly put his beloved down on the bed. Rei just let himself drop down on his back instantly. "You have to get changed to sleeping clothes."

"Hmm. I think I'll just get undressed. You'll keep me warm anyway," Rei mumbled, apparently half asleep already.

"Well, okay," Ruka replied, his cheeks turning a bit red. Quickly, he changed into sleeping clothes, while Rei just took off his day clothes and laid sown underneath the bed-sheets. In silence, Ruka laid down next to him, softly embracing him. "Are you comfortable like this?"

"Yeah," Rei whispered, and yawned. "Goodnight, Ruka."

"Goodnight," Ruka whispered back. Tenderly, he started caressing Rei's back, with the tips of his fingers. After just a few seconds, he already felt his beloved relaxing completely. After some minutes, Rei's breathing evened out, signaling Ruka that he had fallen asleep. With a soft smile, he cuddled against him and closed his eyes. "I love you," he whispered, kissing Rei gently on his cheek. Though the purple-haired angel didn't respond, naturally, Ruka felt how loose and completely off-guard Rei was right now. So full of trust in Ruka. And it made him proud, and most of all happy, that Rei felt that way about him.

With a yawn, he buried his face in Rei's hair, and pulled the sheets up until just below their chins. When he opened his eyes for a moment, he saw a ray of moonlight coming through a split between the curtains in front of the window. It faintly lit up Rei's sleeping form, making him look so breathtakingly beautiful, Ruka almost regretted having to close his eyes in order to sleep. And all he wished for, was that they would succeed on the quest. For being able to have moments like this with Rei forever, he'd do absolutely anything.

* * *

**Wow, I don't think I have ever updated this fast before 'O-O Anyway, I hope it was worth reading, even though it didn't took the storyline any further.**

**I'll update again in a few days^^**


	23. Part III: 4

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

* * *

With a soft groan, Rei opened his eyes, when he felt someone caressing his hair. "Hmm, Ruka?" he whispered tiredly, looking at his beloved's face which was almost covered by the darkness of the night. Still, he knew Ruka well enough to see his friend was worrying about something. "You okay?"

"Yes, sorry I woke you up," Ruka mumbled, with a faint smile. "I was just thinking about things, and I couldn't sleep, so… Well, I found out it calms me down to pet you."

"So, do you expect me to eat cat-food from now on?" Rei chuckled.

"I didn't mean it that way." Ruka did smile though, for real this time. "Not like a pet, just… knowing you'll always be there for me. That's reassuring."

"Mmh, I feel the same," Rei mumbled, before closing his eyes again and snuggling as close as possible against his beloved. "And I feel sleepy."

"I'll stop caressing your hair, if you can't sleep because of that," Ruka offered.

"Nah… Don't stop," Rei's voice trailed off, but he kept awake for a while, enjoying Ruka's touch. After some minutes, Ruka suddenly went limp. "Ruka?" A bit concerned, Rei opened his eyes, but closed them again with a smile, when he saw that his beloved had just fallen asleep. It wasn't long until he too drifted off to sleep.

"Rei? Rei, wake up!" Ruka's voice sounded a bit tense. Still feeling a bit drowsy, Rei opened his eyes, to see the bright morning sun shining through the split between the curtains. Immediately he sat up, realizing they had overslept.

"We have to get up! I have to make breakfast!" Rei practically jumped out of the bed, almost tripping over his own feet.

"Calm down!" Ruka said, softly grabbing his hand. "I'm sure Yuda and Shin are also still in bed, and Goh can take care of breakfast."

"In know, but we have so much research yet to do," Rei sighed. "It'll take hours."

"That's true, but just get dresses calmly, and we'll then go to check if Yuda and Shin are already awake. We'll have plenty of time to do the research."

Rei sighed again, letting himself drop back on the bed, right into Ruka's strong arms. "Ruka…" Instead of asking, he just kissed his beloved on his mouth, earning a soft groan from him. Feeling his own cheeks turning bright red, he stood up again and started to dress himself. He could barely believe he had dared to do what he just did, but he certainly didn't regret it. And he was pretty sure Ruka didn't either. Still, they walked out of the room a few minutes later, a bit awkwardly.

"Umm, so… Let's check on Yuda and Shin now," Ruka mumbled, without looking at Rei.

"Okay," Rei muttered back. Was his beloved angry with him? Or embarrassed? "Ruka?"

"Yes?"

"I… I'm sorry!" Rei stared at the floor, feeling more ashamed than ever. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

Ruka stopped walking and looked at him almost shocked. "Rei, I really love it when you kiss me. You were just… really passionate. So I'm just a bit scared that I won't be able to hold back."

"Ah." Rei blushed a bit. "Okay, I understand." He did feel a little proud at having that effect on someone as strong and beautiful as Ruka, though.

When they got to the door of Shin's room, Ruka knocked softly. "Yes?" Yuda's voice sounded.

"Are you two coming down for breakfast too?" Ruka asked.

"We'll be there in a few minutes." The door opened. "I've been awake for some time already, but I don't really want to wake up Shin." Yuda looked a bit ashamed. "I know the research is important, and I should just wake him, and he wants me to, but…"

"Don't worry, I understand," Ruka reassured him, with a soft smile. "You're not the only one who feels that way."

Rei felt a bit embarrassed, knowing that Ruka was talking about him, but didn't complain. It actually made him feel a bit happy, that Ruka cared for him like that. And he had to admit, he would sometimes feel the same about his beloved, if he woke up sooner than Ruka.

"We'll go downstairs already, all right, Rei?"

"Eh? Yeah," Rei quickly followed him, realizing that he hadn't heard a word of Ruka's and Yuda's conversation.

"Are you sure you're feeling all right?" Ruka asked concerned. "You seemed a bit out of it, just now."

"I was just thinking, that's all," Rei said softly, but with a pretty happy smile.

"Nice thoughts?"

Rei softly kissed him on his cheek, though he had to stretch a little to reach it. "Really nice thoughts."

Ruka smiled, but they reached the kitchen before he could really respond. Gai and Goh had were already having breakfast, so Rei and Ruka joined them at the dining table. "Where are Kira and Maya?" Ruka asked.

"They're in Kira's room, I don't know why," Gai replied, sounding a bit concerned. "But I hope they're not going to do something stupid."

"I hope they understand it would only make the quest more difficult if they would do something like following us," Goh said. "Gai, can't you talk to Maya this evening? Maybe he'll listen you."

"I can try," Gai agreed. "Hey, where are Yuda and Shin?"

"Still in their room, but Yuda said they'll be here in some minutes," Rei told.

"And after breakfast, a whole day in the library again," Gai sighed.

"When we're done with the research and start to travel, you'll be outdoors more than you'll want," Ruka remarked. "And as far as Yuda and I have found out about the demons and other treads that Rei and Shin found, we'll have a whole package of spells with us."

Which also meant they would all have to cast a few. And they could only hope that the effect on their bodies wouldn't be bad enough to make completing the quest impossible. Suddenly, Rei stomach turned when he remembered how Shin had lost consciousness after casting those two spells when they went to save Maya and Kira. That had only been two spells, but Shin was still tired from it. So what if they would have tens of spells to cast? Would any one of them actually be strong enough to keep on walking? How much chance did they have to all come back alive?

"Rei?" Ruka's voice woke him from his thoughts, and he saw his beloved looking at him worriedly. "Are you all right? You're so pale, suddenly."

"Eh… I'm fine. Just… thinking," Rei stammered, staring at his breakfast.

"Then why aren't you eating?" Yuda asked. It wasn't until now that Rei realized that Yuda and Shin had joined them at the dining table. Hopefully he hadn't missed anything important.

"Just not so hungry," Rei replied softly.

"What are you worrying about?" Shin asked quietly.

How did he know that Rei was worrying? Probably because the blue-haired angel felt the same, though Shin seemed to be better at hiding it. "The spells. I mean… it had such effect on your body, so is it even possible to all survive this if we have so many spells to cast?"

"If we take turns, and help each other in every way, I'm sure it's possible," Shin reassured him. "It certainly won't be easy, but we can make it."

Rei looked at him, noticing the slight paleness of his face. "I hope you're right." He wanted to believe Shin was. He really did. But it couldn't stop the almost nauseating feeling of stress.

"After breakfast, we'll go back to research. That's boring enough to relax you, right?" Gai said, earning a annoyed look from Goh.

"Research happens to necessary."

"That doesn't make it fun!"

Rei smiled a bit, looking at those two arguing, and quietly finished eating his breakfast. Some minutes later, in the library, he indeed relaxed a bit. Or rather, got a bit sleepy from reading the same information in different books, trying to find out something new. The piles of notes on what the road would be, got bigger and bigger, and so did the piles of notes on potential threats and spells the might have to use. It made him tired to just look at, knowing they would have to discuss on a strategy and planning, while considering all that was written on those many notes. That would take them hours.

"Rei?" Shin suddenly asked.

"Yes?"

"Last book," Shin said with a smile. It wasn't until then that Rei realized that they had finally went through the last book.

"Yay!" he couldn't help but to yell, earning some weird looks from his friends. "Eh… sorry." Blushing, he looked at the table.

Shin chuckled softly. "I assume you're glad about it?"

"I was getting a bit bored," Rei admitted, with an awkward smile.

"We do have to figure out a strategy, still," Shin sighed. "We might as well start on it already, by making a list."

"Sure," Rei agreed. "How do you mean, a list?"

"Well, we can make a travel-schedule, since we've did the research on the road," Shin explained. "Assuming we'll assign tasks this afternoon, we can leave tomorrow at morning."

"To where exactly?"

"The same cave as where we found Yuda and Ruka. So you're and Ruka's flying would be helpful to get there in as less time as possible, since that is the easiest part of the journey. We should be able to do that in one day." Shin wrote it down on one of the papers. "If we leave at nine in the morning, we can be inside those caves and rest there for the night, at…" He thought for a moment. "Around eleven at night. That would be with a afternoon and dinner break of thirty minutes. That would still mean a… fourteen hour flight. Do you think Ruka and you can do that, each carrying two people?"

"Yes," Rei replied, admiring Shin's intelligence.

"I suppose Ruka will want you to carry me and Gai," Shin said, a bit loud so Ruka would hear. Ruka nodded as an agreement, and Shin wrote it down.

"Just…" Rei started, blushing a bit. "Well… not to sound overly dramatic, but don't let go of my hand again. When you fell… it scared me so much."

Shin looked at him a bit surprised. "Rei, that happened because of the effect casting those spells had done to my body. I won't fall again."

"I know. I'm just being overly dramatic, sorry," Rei mumbled. Still, he wouldn't forget soon, or ever, what he had felt when he had let Shin's hand slip. Even though he knew deep inside that it wasn't his fault, he couldn't help but to still feel a tad guilty.

"So, would you mind making breakfast tomorrow morning?" Shin asked. "I'll help you, if I may."

"All right," Rei agreed.

As Shin had thought, that afternoon all was settled. Rei and Ruka would fly them all, the first part of their quest. Also, they agreed on each taking turns on the spells, by considering which they would need at which time. Yuda was first in line, Ruka next, then Goh, then Shin, Rei and eventually Gai. And after Gai's turn, the list would start over again. And Shin had written down a full timed schedule of their journey. Beginning with day one.

"So, breakfast at eight thirty in the morning?" Gai asked.

"Yes. And then lunch at twelve, and dinner at seven. Each break will last thirty minutes," Shin replied.

"Will we take food with us or should we eat whatever we can find on the road?" Yuda asked.

"It might be better to take dried meat with us. That doesn't weigh much, and then none of us will have to hunt," Rei suggested. "Vegetables should be findable everywhere, except for the part through Hell, but we'll have to make a small stock right before we go into that part."

"If all goes well, we should be in and out in a day, so we won't have to spend a night there," Shin said.

"That's… kind of a relieve," Yuda sighed.

"I'll rewrite a paper with the schedule for all of us, so we'll all have one. Same goes for the spells, but I'll put the name of the person who has to cast it on it. It's just a better idea to have more than one copy of each spell with us."

"So… That's it?" Goh asked.

"Yes. Now the real quest is going to start," Shin sighed. Rei felt his stomach making another turn from stress.

* * *

**So, in the next chapter they'll finally DO something again ;)**

**Will update again in a few days^^**


	24. Part IV: 1

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

* * *

Rei spend that night snuggling against Ruka. Every time he almost drifted off to sleep, he felt like his body was falling away from Ruka's, and he startled awake to snuggle even closer to his beloved. For some time, Ruka just let him be, figuring Rei would fall asleep sooner or later, but around one o 'clock at night, he finally opened his eyes and sat up, causing Rei to let out a startled gasp. "Ruka! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to keep you awake…" He looked exhausted.

With a soft sigh, Ruka laid his hand on Rei's bare chest, feeling how stressed out his beautiful angel was. "Never mind about keeping me awake. Just tell me, is there any way that I can help you to sleep?"

"Just…" Rei took a shaky sigh. "Well… I just keep thinking about all that can go wrong. I don't want to lose you, or any of our friends!"

"If we work together, we won't lose anyone." 'And I'll definitely won't lose you' he thought, but didn't say that last part out loud.

Rei swallowed visibly. "Hold me… please."

"With pleasure," Ruka smiled, and laid back down, pulling Rei's slender body in a tight embrace. Rei snuggled against him again. "Now, relax. I promise I won't let go of you."

"Okay," Rei mumbled, finally closing his eyes, his face so close to Ruka's that they could feel each other's warm breathe. Slowly, Ruka felt the frail angel relaxing in his arm, his quick breathing slowing down to a deep, regular pace. "Hmm, goodnight… Ruka," Rei whispered, without opening his eyes.

"Goodnight, my beloved," Ruka whispered back, enjoying the happy smile on Rei's face at being called that. The smile lasted until he fell asleep, but trough his Saint Beast powers, Ruka could feel the contentment and trust Rei felt, even unconsciously. He felt exactly the same, and it didn't take long until he fell asleep.

Next morning, Rei woke up earlier than he had the past few days, around eight o 'clock. Exactly the right time to get dressed and start making breakfast. Carefully, he slipped out of Ruka's embrace, not waking his beloved. Ruka stirred a bit, sighing softly. "Shhh. I'll be in the kitchen," Rei whispered, softly kissing his cheek. Immediately, his beloved relaxed again. He looked so sweet, for a moment Rei just looked at him. Then, he quickly got dressed and went downstairs.

Shin was already waiting in the kitchen, sitting on the table and staring out of the window. In the soft, warm light of the sunrise, his face looked a lot less pale than it had yesterday. A bit relieved, Rei walked into the kitchen, softly knocking on the door post, making Shin turn his head to look who had come in. "Rei, good morning," he greeted with a smile.

Rei smiled back. "Good morning Shin. You're earlier than I had thought."

"I woke early, and Yuda was still sleeping. Ruka too, I assume?"

"Yes. So, dried meat is already packed, so all we have to prepare is breakfast. What about eggs? And maybe some salad. Might be the last proper meal we'll get in a while, depending on what we can find on the way."

"That's true," Shin agreed. "Why not omelets? With cheese and stuff?"

"Good idea. We still have cheese and eggs, I'm just not sure what vegetables we have left," Rei said, walking over to the fridge to check. "Only some unions and paprika, but that should be enough to make something eatable."

"Okay. Shall I cut the unions to pieces?"

"Sure." While Shin worked on the unions, Rei cut the paprika.

"Rei… Can I talk to you about something, and you won't tell anyone else?" Shin kept staring at the unions he was cutting.

"Sure," Rei responded, a bit curious, and also a bit worried.

"Well, Yuda… Yuda had nightmares all night long, and this morning he didn't even want to answer me when I asked about it. I think he is more scared than he wants to show."

"Scared because of where we'll have to travel through, or scared about you?" Rei asked, remembering Ruka's behavior, the night before last night.

"I don't know," Shin sighed, "Maybe both."

"Then why don't you just talk to him, and hold each other. It works with Ruka," Rei replied.

Before Shin could reply, the two they had been talking about, came into the room. Considering the slightly shy chuckle that Ruka made, they had heard at least the last part of Rei and Shin's conversation. Yuda just stared at the floor, not even looking at Shin. The blue-haired angel obviously tried to act like he didn't care, but Rei saw the hurt and embarrassment in his eyes.

"G-good morning, you both," Rei greeted with a forced smile, a tad too late. Still, acting happy was the only way he could think of to make Shin feel less awkward.

Ruka replied, smiling at him warmly, showing that he didn't mind Rei talking about him to Shin, but Yuda just ignored him. Instead, he just stared at the table he sat at. Was he angry with Shin and Rei, or embarrassed that Shin had told Rei about him having nightmares? Rei really hoped he wasn't angry. He could judge on himself, but Shin at least didn't deserve that.

"Eh… so…" He couldn't think of anything else to say to break the tension. Feeling his cheeks going red, Rei turned back to the paprika. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a pained expression on Shin's face. "Shin?"

"I-I just cut my hand, that's all," Shin replied quickly, trying to cover his left hand with the other.

"What…" Rei started, but Yuda practically jumped onto Shin. "Let me see! Are you okay?"

"Weren't you angry?" Shin asked silently, but allowed Yuda to grab hold of his bleeding hand.

"No! It's just… I felt a bit embarrassed. I mean, I just want to be strong to protect you. So for you seeing me like that… I'm really sorry, Shin." Gently, he kissed the cut on Shin's pale hand, healing it without an effort.

"Trust me, you'll get past that point soon enough," Ruka smiled. "Right, Rei?"

"Eh… yeah," Rei replied, a bit unsure. Ruka stood up and walked over to him.

"I haven't properly greeted you yet," Ruka whispered in Rei's ear, before softly kissing him on his lips. With a soft shiver, Rei kissed back. Suddenly, this day didn't seem that bad anymore. "Hmm, you taste sweet."

"Eh… t-thanks," Rei stuttered, his cheeks getting bright red. He saw Yuda looking politely in another direction, and Shin seemed almost envious. Maybe the blue-haired angel still hadn't had the courage to kiss Yuda? Which meant Yuda didn't dare to take the first step either. Well, that wasn't something Rei could help with.

"Err… are we interrupting something?" Gai's voice suddenly sounded.

With a gasp, Rei turned around, seeing Gai and Goh standing in the doorway, looking at them. "Eh… Good morning," he stammered. "W-we were just… I'll have to get back to the paprika, sorry!" Quickly he went on with cutting the paprika.

After a slightly late breakfast, in which Gai had constantly teased both Rei and Shin, the finally left. They walked the way up to the entrance of the cave with the seal. "Rei? Are you ready?" Ruka asked softly.

"Yes." Though he held Shin and Gai's arms a bit too tight for comfort, they had dove through the cave in a matter of seconds. After Rei had confirmed to Ruka that the seal hadn't effected him, they immediately flew on, towards the caves, far in the distance. "Shin? Are you still all right?" Rei asked worriedly.

"Why wouldn't I?" Shin replied. "Please stop worrying yourself, you'll need that energy for better things."

Rei couldn't disagree on the fact that he understood Shin's point, considering how annoyed he himself got when people fussed about him, but still. Only yesterday, Shin had still looked a bit pale. He sighed softly. Well, after the worrying he did last night, before Ruka had finally calmed him down, he probably didn't look completely great either. He didn't really feel tired, just a bit slower than usual. Ruka didn't seem to be tired at all, though he hadn't slept any more than Rei. Not fair.

"Rei? Shall we speed up a little?" Ruka suggested. "We're a little behind on our schedule, after… breakfast."

It wasn't the breakfast that had done that. Rei blushed a bit, realizing that had been the first time that Ruka had actually kissed him in public. "Okay," he replied.

Ruka shot a quick smile at him, probably knowing what Rei had thought about, and speeded up. Rei followed, until they were flying next to each other. The sun was almost the strongest it would get, near afternoon. Rei couldn't help but to notice how great Ruka looked, his silver hair and almost white wings glittering in the bright sunlight. Ruka caught him staring, and smiled lovingly. "You okay, Rei?"

"Ah, yes," Rei responded quickly. "How late is it, by the way?"

"Around twelve, I think," Shin responded, when no one else did.

"About time to go search for some lunch?" Goh suggested.

"Definitely," Gai grinned. "Maybe there are some eatable birds here?"

Rei almost got angry, but realized Gai's teasing was just incurable. "You know I can just let go of your hand and let you fall, right?" he asked, with a fake friendly smile.

"You wouldn't really do that!"

"You sure?"

"Let's let each other live for a while, okay?" Ruka said softly. "But as Goh said, it's time for lunch, so shall we land somewhere?"

"Okay, I'll follow you," Rei replied.

Lunch was found after a little time, berries and some eatable leaves. At least, Shin thought they were eatable. A little uncertain, Rei took a small bite, preparing for the worst taste ever. Surprisingly, these long, purple-green leaves tasted rather sweet. Still, they didn't took the time to enjoy the meal, as they were still behind on schedule, and didn't have such spare time. Rei knew that, and agreed that they should hurry, but carrying not only himself, but also two others, was making his body a bit sore. Ruka didn't seem to have any trouble at all, as usual. So Rei felt that he had no excuse to complain.

With some effort, he launched himself back into the air, dragging Shin and Gai along. After flying for some hours, they finally could see the rocky landscape with the caves, in the distance. Seeing that, it made Rei's wings get some energy back, so he could fly a bit faster. "Almost there," Ruka said, with a slightly worried glance at Rei. "What time is it?"

"Around half past ten," Shin replied, after looking at the sun.

"Looks like we're ahead of schedule now," Yuda remarked. "How far should we walk into the caves?"

"Until the middle," Shin replied. "There's a small, dead-end tunnel there, where we should be safe for the night."

As he had already thought, Rei didn't enjoy the walk. Not as much because of his sore body, but more because of the memories. Especially when they walked through the cave where they had fought. Where Ruka had almost… Drawing a shaky sigh, Rei forced himself not to think about it. No need to stir up painful memories, not now. The only important thing was, that they had Ruka and Yuda back, and that they now had to succeed on this journey to keep it that way.

He almost gasped when he suddenly felt someone grabbing his hand. Startled, he looked beside and saw Ruka smiling sheepishly at him. "I… wasn't really forward to see this place again," the silver-haired angel mumbled. "Sorry to scare you."

"Ah… never mind. I was just thinking the same thing," Rei replied softly.

"How you were lying there… all that blood. And knowing it was all my fault…" Ruka's voice faltered. Gently, Rei kissed him on his cheek, without stopping to walk, and after checking if no one was watching.

"I don't blame you, and you know that," he answered.

Ruka smiled thankfully at him, and then looked at Yuda. Rei followed his gaze, to see the red-haired angel walking hand in hand with Shin. "Looks like we're not the only ones," he whispered.

Sometime later, in the small tunnel that Shin had talked about, they all sat down in a half circle and ate the berries that they had saved earlier. After that, Rei practically dropped down on Ruka's shoulder. "Why aren't you tired?" he mumbled.

"I am," Ruka replied softly. "But It wasn't that hard, right?"

"… right." With a slightly embarrassed feeling, Rei sat up again. He could barely keep his eyes open, but definitely didn't want to seem weak in any way. Hopefully he wasn't the only one at all who was tired. Shin, who was sitting on his other side, shot him a slightly concerned glance.

" If you're tired, you should go to sleep. We'll have to get up early tomorrow," his friend said softly.

"I'm not that tired," Rei replied with a friendly smile, hoping that Shin wouldn't ask on about the subject. Luckily, he didn't.

"Let's tell ghost stories," Gai suggested. "That'll take our mind off the journey, for the night."

"Go ahead then," Goh replied with a soft chuckle. "Just don't get scared yourself."

"Well, I had the idea to all tell a part of the story," Gai explained. "I'll tell the first part, then the next person continues and so on. We can take turns clockwise."

"Sound like fun," Yuda said. No one else complained either.

Gai started telling, but Rei felt way too tired to actually pay enough attention to hear what he was saying. Sighing faintly, he slumped a bit against the wall. Everyone was looking at Gai now, so he could lean his head on Ruka's shoulder once again, without feeling embarrassed at it. Only Ruka noticed, of course, and maybe Shin. "Sorry, but I'm so tired," he whispered in Ruka's ear, inaudible for anyone but his beloved. Ruka just laid his arm around Rei's slim shoulders to show that he didn't mind.

For a moment, Rei didn't worry at all about their situation, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Not much news in this chapter, but in the next, there'll be more action ;)**

**I'll update in a few days^^**


	25. Part IV: 2

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

**If the start of this chapter seems a bit hurried, that's because I really wanted to start writing it today. But my mum really wanted (read: forced) me to clean up my attic. So 9 garbage bags, 4 pretty big spiders, 1 weird unknown dead bug that made me scream and a nearly collapsed closet later, I can FINALLY start writing. Now I just have to find a way to get the dust out of my lungs…**

* * *

Something stirred against him, startling him awake. Cold. Why wasn't he in bed? And why was it so dark? Was it still night or something? But he didn't feel like he had slept that short. With a yawn, he looked around, finally remembering where they were and why they were here. And the thing stirring against him had been Ruka, softly trying to wake him. Now, his silver-haired angel smiled at him. "Good morning, Rei."

"Good morning." Seems like the others had awoken just moments ago too. "What time is it?"

"Eight o'clock, so we're a little early. But since we have to travel over a mountain today, we'd better save as much time as possible," Shin said.

"Oh, the one with the eternal storms," Rei remembered from their research. Those storms were the main reason why it would take rather long to get over that mountain. Flying would be impossible, due to the hard wind.

After a really short breakfast, they all had only a few of the eatable leafs left in their pockets, they walked on through the caves, Shin leading the way. "Light!" Gai suddenly noticed. Rei immediately looked up, and indeed the cave was close to ending. Like it was agreed on beforehand, they all fastened their pace towards it. After the slightly moldy air inside the caved, the fresh morning wind outside felt even better that usual. Enjoying the sun would have to wait, though.

They were standing at the foot of the mountain, and already they were in a thick mist. The sound of the wind blowing, a little way up the path, was disturbingly loud. "We'd better hold hands, not to lose each other," Yuda warned. "It sound like tough weather up there."

None of them disagreed on that, and Rei was quite happy to now have a reason to hold hands with Ruka. On his other side was Yuda, and then Shin. Gai and Goh were next to Ruka. This time, Goh went first, since there was only one path, so they didn't need to know the way. Besides, despite the strong wind, Goh was strong enough to pull them all forward.

The further they got, the harder it got to see where they were going. The mist was like some thick, grey cloth around them, making it difficult to even see each other. That wouldn't have been such a problem, if only the wind wouldn't be blowing them nearly off the path. Rei was pretty sure they were walking right next to a ravine right now, but he couldn't even look far enough to see his own feet. Not that would ever let it show, but he felt so scared. Still, he just couldn't worry Ruka right now.

They had wandered on for some hours, when suddenly the wind became so strong, Rei felt himself being thrown aside by it. Ruka's hand slipped, just as Yuda's. And he could hear Shin and Yuda screaming. In a flash he realized he had been right about the ravine.

Without thinking, he ran down into the direction of Shin's panicked voice. Yuda was here somewhere to, but he was still save. At the second Rei knew he ran past Yuda, the mountain suddenly stopped, and the ravine began. "Shin!" Rei yelled.

"Rei, help! Please!" Shin sounded not too far away yet, and Rei flew down as fast as he could, suddenly bumping into something warm and soft. "Rei?"

"Hold on!" Not knowing how faraway the ground was, Rei made a full turn back up. The wind almost blew him out of course, the mist was so thick he could only see grey, but he just hoped he was going in the right direction. Above him, he suddenly heard someone yelling his name. "Ruka, we're here!" He yelled back.

"Can you see anything?"

"No!" Not making his beloved worry was one thing, but it would be stupid not to tell him that. Honestly, Rei didn't even know for sure if he was even flying up. Another strong gust of wind, and he knew he was getting way too close to the rocky wall of the ravine. "Ruka!"

"Rei, watch out!" Shin screamed.

At the second Rei looked around, it was already too late. With a crash, he hit the wall, the sharp rocks cutting his body. He heard a loud thump, and felt Shin going limp in his arms. "Shin?" No response. Realizing they were falling down, he flapped his wings, hoping desperately to gain some height. He already knew it was useless. When another strong gust of wind threw him against the rocks again, he felt one of them piercing more than just his skin. "Ruka!" He screamed as loud as he could, making his lungs burn. All he knew that if he would let go of Shin now, his friend would be as good as dead.

It wasn't until he felt strong arms embracing him, that he felt a small flicker of hope. "Ruka?" he asked softly.

"It's me. Just hold on for a little longer," his beloved tried to comfort him.

Ruka felt how strangely limp Shin's body was. Rei was obviously still conscious, but something about him felt a bit off. As fast as he could, he flew back to the path, and their friends. "Yuda, you have to help!" Carefully, he sat Rei down, kneeling beside him. The purple-haired angel still felt a bit wobbly, so Ruka kept an arm around his slim shoulders. Rei carefully laid Shin down on the ground. "I… I think he h-hit his head," he mumbled.

From this close, Ruka could just see Rei and Shin, and also Yuda, Gai and Goh, when they kneeled next to them. Ruka noticed briefly how pale Rei seemed, but his attention was back at Shin when Yuda carefully kissed him on his forehead, healing the concussion. Shin woke almost immediately, and Rei slumped against Ruka with a shaky but relieved sigh. "Shin? You're… okay?" he mumbled, his voice faltering.

"Y-yes, thanks to you for catching me." Shin looked at Rei, and all color went from his face. "Rei!"

Ruka looked at Rei's ghostly pale face, but Rei looked down, at where Shin was staring at. His face went even paler, for as far as that was possible, and his breathing hitched. "Ah… I hadn't… n-noticed… that… y-yet…" he whispered faintly. Ruka finally followed his gaze, and he nearly gasped. Some sharp rock had went right through Rei's abdomen, leaving him with a mess of blood and ripped off flesh where his intestines were supposed to be. With a breathless sound, Rei closed his eyes. Ruka didn't know if his beloved had lost consciousness, but the other option was a lot worse.

"Yuda!" Ruka nearly yelled, even though the red-haired angel sat right in front of him. Yuda had already kneeled next to Rei, and carefully placed his lips on the wound. Terribly slowly, it healed. "Rei?" Ruka asked worriedly. "Rei, please say something."

"Ouch," Rei groaned, blinking a few times, before opening his eyes. "That… didn't feel pleasant."

Speechless at that dry response, Ruka just hugged him tightly, so grateful to have Rei's frail, beautiful body healthy again. His angel was still trembling, though. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked concerned.

"Y-yeah. I just… If you hadn't caught us…" Rei looked at the ground, with an almost guilt look on his face. "Then I would have failed again."

"It's not like it's a daily thing having to catch me," Shin said softly, immediately understanding what Rei meant. "And besides, though you got hurt both of the times you saved me, I'd be dead twice now if it wasn't for you. So why are you so hard on yourself?"

"Because…" Rei sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'd just like to do something well, instead of making others save me."

"Sorry, but I won't jump into that ravine again to give you another chance," Shin said with a smirk. Shall we move on now? We can talk during the nights, but it isn't wise to stay in places like this for longer than necessary."

Rei nodded, allowing Ruka to help him to his feet, while Yuda did the same for Shin. They all got back into their former positions, holding hands, and started walking on. After some time, Rei felt they were on a path again. It did feel slightly more safe, and the wind had laid down a bit, but he still hoped they'd be off this mountain soon.

Finally, the path didn't went downwards anymore, though the mist stayed. Suddenly, Rei realized they were walking into some big, black hole. "The ice caves," he realized.

"Huh?" Yuda asked."

"They're right at the foot of the mountain," Shin explained. "That mountain path we just walked, ends into a ravine. There's a huge rocky wall in front of us, stretching out for miles in both ways. "And those caves are the only way to get out of it towards where we're heading."

"And that's where we'll have to spend the night?" Gai nagged. "In a frozen cave?"

"No one said this would be easy and comfortable," Goh commented.

Slowly, they walked in. "This should be the safest s-spot," Shin said, some minutes later. "Let's r-rest here." He wasn't the only one who was shivering, due to the intense cold. As they sat down against a wall, they automatically cuddled as close to each other as possible, desperate to share all warmth available.

Rei snuggled softly against Ruka, making his angel groan a bit, almost inaudibly. "It's so cold," Rei mumbled.

"I know," Ruka mumbled back, embracing his slender angel.

"Did anyone think about bringing food?" Yuda suddenly asked.

The silence that followed answered that question. "Damn," Ruka commented.

Rei didn't really care, he wasn't that hungry anyway, but it still worried him a bit. Considering what they would have to face in these caves, they shouldn't weaken even a bit. But right now, he didn't want to worry about that. He just wanted to sleep. Exhausted, he laid his head on Ruka's shoulder and closed his eyes. Faintly, he felt his beloved calling his name, softly. "Mmh," he sighed.

"Rei?" A bit worried, Ruka watched the beautiful angel in his arms. Rei's face was bit pale, and he seemed barely awake. Of course he was tired, after what had happened, but was he really all right?

"He's fine," Yuda said softly, and Ruka noticed his friend was holding Shin in the same way that he held Rei. So it was indeed due to their almost-fall into that ravine, that they were so exhausted. Well, no wonder really. They had both gotten hurt, though Rei had took a bigger blow than Shin. At least they were both healed.

"Ruka?" Rei whispered suddenly, opening his eyes a bit.

"Yes?"

"You're… soft," Rei mumbled, his eyes slipping shut again. "Keep… holding… me." His breathing evened out as he fell asleep.

* * *

**They'll get even more trouble in the next chapter *evil smile***

**Will update soon^^**


	26. Part IV: 3

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

* * *

With a soft groan, Rei woke up the next morning. Cold. But he was leaning against something warm, and something else warm was leaning against him. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked around. With a soft chuckle, he looked at his friends. Yuda was leaning against the wall, Shin sleeping in his arms. Ruka leaned against Shin, with Rei in his arms, and Gai and Goh were leaning against Rei. Well, at least it was a good way to stay warm.

Sighing deeply, he sat up a bit. Gai stirred a little and woke up. "Morning already?" he groaned.

"Seems like it," Rei replied. "We'd better wake the others too."

"Yeah."

No one seemed to be wanting to think about breakfast, since they didn't have anything to eat, so they resumed their journey immediately. The sooner they would get out of here, the sooner they'd be able to find some food. But before that, they'd have to face their first enemy, right in the heart of these ice-caves.

It was getting colder, the closer they got to it. Their breath came out as small clouds by now, making them feel even more cold by looking at it. "I think we're almost there," Shin remarked softly. "Be careful."

Rei unconsciously grabbed hold of Ruka's warm hand. His beloved gave him a short, reassuring glance. Finally, the tunnel ended into a large cave room. Right in the middle, laid a gigantic white and cyan dragon, ice crystals forming on this scales and wings. For a moment, Rei just stared at it, almost hypnotized by the sight of it. As beautiful as it was, though, there was a reason why it was trapped in here. As soon as the dragon caught eye of them, he growled loudly, immediately shooting an ice-beam at them from its mouth.

Jumping away just in time, they all ran as far as they could alongside the wall, towards the exit on the other side. "Yuda, the spell! It'll temporarily paralyze it!" Shin yelled.

Yuda, while running, started casting the spell. Like it knew that the spell would make its dinner escape him, the dragon aimed its beam directly at Yuda now. Expecting the red haired angel to dodge it, they kept running, but Rei saw Shin hesitating and realized his friend was aware of the spell taking its toll on Yuda's body. He'd never be quick enough to dodge.

In a flash, he realized what his friend was planning to do, and realized Shin would never be fast enough to pull that off. "Watch out!" he yelled, making his wings come out and practically throwing himself at Yuda and Shin. His wings gave him just that extra bit of speed to get all three of them away quick enough, though he could feel the deadly cold touching the tips of his wings. Yuda managed to keep casting the spell, making the dragon clumsy enough to allow them to get up to their feet again.

"Hurry!" Goh yelled. Gai, Ruka and he were almost at the exit already. Rei started to withdraw his wings, but saw Yuda trembling visibly. He'd never make it this way.

"Keep casting the spell," he said, grabbing Yuda's and Shin's hand. The dragon seemed almost paralyzed by now, but it was still far from harmless. With all his strength, he flew towards the exit, dragging his friends with him.

Unable to aim anymore, the dragon just started shooting aimlessly, mostly hitting the wall. His beams were getting weak already, but Rei felt a sharp, freezing pain run though his body when the dragon shot right in front of him, barely missing. At the same time, he realized the shooting finally stopped. The spell had finally taken the full effect. Almost dizzy with relieve, Rei flew to the exit and landed, being caught by Ruka.

"Rei!" The silver haired angel looked at him worriedly. "Were you hit? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"N-no. It just missed," he replied shakily, looking back at Shin and Yuda. Yuda looked exhausted, but besides that they were both unharmed. And also looking at him with concern.

"It was too close not to have affected you," Shin said. "It was already weakened, but…"

"I'm fine…" Rei interrupted him, not wanting everyone to worry about him again. "J-just… a little cold." So cold, his entire body felt a bit numb, actually, but that would fade as soon as they got moving again, right? At least, he hoped so. Besides, he couldn't make Yuda heal him right now, his friend was tired enough already. "L-let's just… walk on."

"Are you sure…" Ruka started.

"I'm fine," Rei replied, a bit snappy. "Let's just go before the spell wears off and that dragon will be able to move again."

Reluctantly, Ruka agreed, and they started walking again. It did took some effort to keep up with them, Rei noticed. Somehow, his body seemed slower than usual, and the numbness wasn't fading at all. Instead, it was getting worse. Refusing to worry his friends even more, he kept on walking. So cold. Wasn't I supposed to get warmer, now that they were moving away from that dragon? And why didn't his friends seem to notice anything? Or… was it just him who felt this cold? That dragon's attack… what damage had it done exactly?

Shivering all over his body, but unable to warm himself even a bit, Rei tried to remember about what the book had said about the dragon. He had read it, not Shin, so he couldn't trust on his friend's photographic memory on this. Vaguely, he remembered something about a curse, but… Too cold to think, he gave up. Wait, hadn't Ruka searched for a way to defeat that beast? Then maybe he remembered. But asking would mean worrying them all.

When even his breathing became more difficult, due to the intense cold, he knew he had to be realistic. Better worry them than slowly freeze to death, which would make them feel far worse. A bit clumsily, he grabbed the arm of the person closest to him, as usual Ruka. His angel looked around with a concerned look on his face. "Rei? What's wrong?"

Slightly dizzy, Rei kept holding him. "I'm so cold. I think… that dragon's blow did do something."

"His blow actually hit you?" When Rei nodded quietly, Ruka stood still and turned around so fast, Rei bumped against him. "Don't you remember reading what that could do?"

Rei softly shook his head, leaning into Ruka a bit heavier. He barely noticed the others were standing around him too, until Shin laid a hand on his shoulder. "Y-you're freezing!" the blue-haired angel gasped.

"That dragon's attack, it freezes you from the inside," Ruka told, his voice nearly trembling from pure fear. "Rei, you should have said something immediately!"

"Sorry…" Rei mumbled, feeling close to crying. What it really that bad? And the cold kept getting worse, starting to hurt somewhere really deep inside. "Ouch…" he groaned, closing his eyes. He felt Ruka's arms around him, and also felt him tensing when noticing how terribly cold Rei was.

"Yuda, can you heal him?" Shin asked, his voice trembling.

"Not entirely, just the physical aspect. The magical part has to wear off on its own, but since the dragon was already weakened, Rei should be able to get through that." Rei felt him laying a hand on his shoulder. "Ruka, could you sit down with him, with his back against you?"

Ruka did as he was told, and Rei felt relieved not to have to stand any longer. With his eyes still closed, he slumped against his beloved, feeling Ruka lowering his embrace towards Rei's abdomen. Yuda had to aim his healing powers at the point where Rei had been hit, his chest. He felt someone opening his angel rope a bit, and then felt Yuda's lips. It hurt a but when feeling started to return to his body, but the almost paralyzing, cold numbness stayed. Guess that was the magic part. At least he was able to feel Ruka's warm body against him now, which was more than a bit comforting.

Still scared, but at least a little less, Ruka felt Rei's body getting just cold, instead of the icy, unnatural freezing it had been. Yuda slowly pulled back, his face a bit pale. "That's all I can do," he said softly, trembling a bit.

"Yuda?" Shin asked worriedly, softly touching his angel's shoulder. Ruka saw Yuda's eyes sliding shut. "Shin!" Warned by Ruka, Shin was just in time to kneel behind Yuda and catch him. The red-haired angel didn't respond at all.

"I think the spell and the healing were a bit too much too handle for his body," Shin sighed. "Well, we'd better stay here anyway. The way out of the caves will be at least a few hours, and both Rei and Yuda need rest right now."

"Can't I do anything to help Rei?" Ruka asked, desperate not to be entirely powerless.

"Just hold him," Shin replied. "Most of these type of curses don't actually cause harm themselves, they just prevent the body from working normally. His body is probably unable to warm itself right now, so he'll need external warmth."

"We'll sit close too, right Goh?" Gai immediately offered. Goh nodded in agreement, and they sat down against the wall. Ruka still held Rei tightly in his arms, Gai sat beside him, also having his arms around Rei, and Goh did the same on Rei's other side. Shin sat next to Gai, holding Yuda. The red-haired angel wasn't really in any danger, or any need to be kept warm, but Shin didn't want to let go of him right now. Yuda would never let go of him either, that was for sure.

Right now, his angel looked so beautiful and quiet, his face relaxed, and laying warmly in Shin's arms. Still, there was one thing bugging him. Though no one dared to say it our loud, it was a very realistic chance that not all of them would come back alive, and they couldn't do anything about that, except hoping they would be lucky. But this thing was, what if Yuda or he wouldn't make it? Then they'd never get the chance to get to the point in their relationship, were Ruka and Rei already were. And they'd never get to kiss.

With a shaky sigh, he pulled Yuda closer. The red-haired angel sighed softly, but didn't wake up. Though he knew how much Yuda needed to rest right now, Shin almost wished he'd wake up. He didn't know how it had been for Ruka and Rei, or who had taken the first step, but when Yuda would wake up… Would he dare to kiss him? Or should he wait until Yuda did? But if Yuda was also waiting for him, they'd never get anywhere, right? So…

"Shin?" Gai asked suddenly, making Shin look up startled. "You okay? You're so quiet."

"Sorry. I… was only thinking. Nothing important." Well, nothing of importance to them or their journey, anyway. "Has Rei already warmed up a little?" he asked, to change the subject.

"A little," Ruka replied. "How long do you think he'll stay unconscious?"

"I don't know. Maybe in a few hours, but hopefully a lot sooner."

"I hope he'll wake up soon," Gai said quietly. "It's scary how cold and silent he is."

"He's already a lot less cold than some minutes ago," Goh commented.

After that conversation, it stayed silent for nearly an hour, until Rei finally stirred a bit, weakly moving his head. Immediately, Ruka tightened his grip on him. "Rei? Can you hear me?"

"Hm? Yeah. Just… a bit dizzy," Rei mumbled, blinking a few times, before slowly opening his eyes and looking around. "Yuda? What…" Shin could tell by the look in Rei's eyes that he remembered what had happened. "He had to heal me?"

"Yes. But don't worry, he's all right. Just tired," Shin tried to reassure him.

"I'm so sorry," Rei said softly, lowering his gaze to the ground.

"You nearly died," Ruka said, placing his hand softly on Rei's cheek, forcing his beloved to look at him. "You should worry about yourself, you've been unconscious for almost an hour. How are you feeling?"

"A little cold, still. But otherwise fine," Rei replied quietly. "But… I shouldn't have gotten hurt. Then Yuda wouldn't have had to heal me."

"You got hurt because you came back for Yuda and me. Or else Yuda wouldn't even be able to ever heal someone again," Shin reminded him. "Either way, I do hope Yuda will wake up soon too. Then we can get out of these caves."

"Yeah. It'll be warmer on the other side, right?" Gai asked.

"If our research is right, we should end up in a forest again, with an average temperature," Shin replied.

"And with no dragons," Rei mumbled. "Luckily."

Ruka smiled softly and kissed him on his cheek. Rei's face immediately turned bright red. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"T-thanks," Rei stuttered, a small smile appearing on his beautiful face.

Gai grinned, but surprisingly didn't make a comment on it. "I hope we can find something to eat in that forest," he said instead.

"Me too," Ruka sighed.

Shin didn't comment. Looking silently at Yuda, he saw how tired his angel still looked. He probably would stay asleep for a while. But unlike Rei had been, he didn't really need to lay still or anything. "We could leave now, if we'll carry Yuda. I think I can carry him for some time, but we would have to take turns."

"Won't he mind?" Goh asked.

"I'm sure not," Shin replied. If anything, Yuda would mind if he'd inadvertently force his friends to keep longer in these ice caves than absolutely necessary. Carefully, he lifted his friend onto his back and stood up. Yuda weighed less than he had thought, but it still took him some effort to find his balance. Though the difference wasn't that huge, Yuda was taller than Shin, which made it a little awkward to carry him like this. But it did distract him from what he had been thinking about earlier, which was a good thing. If he thought about it too much, he might lose the courage to finally kiss his beloved.

Watching Ruka and Rei also standing up, Ruka gently helping Rei up, Shin felt a bit envious of them. Before they had left for this quest, that morning in the kitchen, Ruka had said that it wouldn't take long before Yuda and Shin would get to the same point in their relationship. To the point where they actually both knew for sure the other saw it as a relationship too. No doubt Yuda loved him, and of course Shin loved him too, and always would so. But it would be nice to be able to talk and act to each other like Rei and Ruka did.

His friends started walking, and Shin quickly followed, trying to just stop thinking for a while. It wouldn't do him any good to make himself nervous about anything. As long as Yuda wasn't even awake, there was nothing Shin could do anyway. Staring at the ground, he walked after his friends for a while.

"Shin?" Rei suddenly asked softly. The blue-haired angel looked up a bit startled, and realized he hadn't noticed at all that Rei was now walking next to him. His friend looked at him a bit guilty. "I'm sorry you have to carry him now."

"Stop apologizing already," Shin sighed. "It's not your fault. On the contrary, even."

Rei didn't reply. Instead, he lowered his gaze to the ground. "Shin?"

"Yes?" Shin looked at him a bit worried. Rei didn't look back.

"I… I'm so scared about that part we have to go through Hell," he mumbled so quietly, only Shin could hear him. Who knows what we might encounter? Even the books didn't know." His voice was trembling a little.

"We're all worried about that, I'm sure," Shin replied, just a quietly. "But we have each other, and more importantly, Yuda and Ruka need to have us. But… how come you're thinking about that right now?"

"I… I was just thinking… If me, or you, wouldn't make it until there, would Ruka and Yuda manage to survive through that place? That thought just startled me, and I didn't want Ruka to be concerned about me. Knowing him, he'd feel guilty about making me worry, and he would try to make me stop thinking about it. But the danger is real, so I'd rather just talk about it like it is." He smiled softly. "Sorry, that probably came out a bit incoherent."

"I do understand what you mean," Shin sighed. "And you're right, we should definitely be worried about it. Emotionally, it'll probably be the hardest part, but technically, it's not any more dangerous that some other places we'll have to travel through. Best thing we can do is just worry about where we are now, and make sure we get through it to the next place."

Rei shot him a thankful glance. "That's true." He sighed. "Why can't I just think so rationally?"

Shin chuckled. "At least you don't over-think things too much. I often keep worrying about thing because I think what you call 'rational'. You're better at saying exactly what you feel. At least, when you're not too shy to, or just don't want to do so." A bit uncertain he looked at his friend, wondering if Rei wouldn't be offended by that last statement. But his friend just smiled faintly.

"Well, at least we all fill in each other's blanks."

Before Shin could reply, he suddenly felt Yuda stirring a bit. "Ah, Yuda? Are you waking up?"

"Hm? S-Shin?" Slowly, Yuda opened his eyes and realized it actually was his beloved who was carrying him. "Shin! Put me down, you could hurt your back."

"Yuda, I'm not made of glass," Shin replied quietly, but did stop walking and allowed Yuda to climb off his back. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it was just the exhaustion that got a little too much." He looked at Rei, who was looking at the floor a bit uncertain. Yuda understood immediately how Rei must have felt, blaming himself as usual. "Rei? Are you not cold anymore?"

Rei immediately shook his head. "I'm completely okay. Thanks for healing me."

"You thanks for saving me and Shin." The others had stopped walking too, looking at him slightly concerned. "Eh… Shall we walk on?"

"Just say so if you need to rest. Same goes for you, Rei," Ruka said, before they went on. With a sigh, Yuda shot a glance at Rei, which Rei returned, both with the same 'can't they stop worrying?' expression in their eyes. Shin, who was still looking at them, chuckled softly, and Yuda couldn't help but to smile at him. He looked so cute right now.

Discretely, Rei sped up a little until he walked next to Ruka again. Gai and Goh were walking in front of them, leaving Yuda and Shin with some privacy. Now that no one was watching them, Shin suddenly looked a bit nervous. "Something wrong?" Yuda asked softly.

"N-no. Not at all." Almost shyly, Shin lifted up his head to look him in the eyes. "Eh… Yuda?" he asked, almost whispering.

Yuda came a bit closer to him, assuming Shin wanted to ask something he felt unsure about. Before he even realized what his angel did, he felt those warm, soft lips pressed on his, suddenly cutting his breath. Still, he felt no tendency at all to step away. Instead, he quickly looked in front of them to see if no one was paying attention to them. Their friends were all watching in front of them, hoping to finally see the end of this tunnel. Perfect.

Before Shin even had the time to wonder why Yuda had broke their kiss, the red-haired angel placed one of his hands on Shin's cheek and kissed him again, this time slower. He felt his beloved angel shivering slightly, and grabbing the front of his angel rope. Had he scared Shin? No, the frail, blue-haired angel seemed just as passionate and enjoying this as Yuda did. It wasn't until their friends started talking to again, and the chance became big that they would get noticed, that they broke their kiss. Just in time, before Goh looked back at them.

"You two okay? You're so quiet.

Shin was blushing and still trying to catch his breath so unnoticeable as possible, so Yuda replied. "W-We're fine."

Now everyone was looking, but luckily only Ruka and Rei seemed to realize what they had been doing. If Gai would find out, he wouldn't stop teasing them until they were done with this quest. If they were lucky. Since both Shin and Yuda didn't return their looks, their friends returned their gaze at the path in front of them. Suddenly, Gai jumped up a little. "There's light! I think we're almost at the end of the caves.

Suddenly, all attention was focused on where Gai was pointing, and Shin's face finally returned to its original color, just a few shade more red than normal. Indeed, there was the end of the tunnel, finally. As if it was agreed on beforehand, they all ran the last few meters, before standing still to breath in the fresh air of the forest. Unlike the forest on the other side of the caves, there were faint bird sounds here. Though Yuda knew what creatures dwelled here, according to their research, this place felt a lot more normal and lively than the other forest and the ice caves together.

Suddenly, Shin grabbed his hand at leaned into him a bit. "So… we're now officially…"

"A couple. Yes." Yuda whispered back. To Yuda, the relieved, truly happy look on Shin's face, was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

* * *

**Wow… this is probably the longest chapter until now O.O' The last part was mainly Shin/Yuda, but they finally are really a couple =3 Seriously though, I don't know how I managed to write this despite all the tests I had to do at school last week. Hm… I don't think I want to know my grades XD**

**Will update soon^^**


	27. Part IV: 4

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

**Ever heard of the "Exmortis" games? I had just played the first and second of those when I thought of the mansion in this chapter…**

* * *

There were more than enough small animals and even more fruit trees in this forest, so the first thing they did was having dinner. Since they had skipped last dinner, breakfast and lunch, that took a while, but when they had eaten enough, Goh suggested to go search for some safe place to spend the night. No one disagreed, logically. After today, a good night sleep sounded great. Still, finding a somewhat sheltered place to stay proved quite hard.

"Can't we sleep in the caves?" Gai suggested.

"Because of the dragon, it's always cold in there, even if we only walk in a few inches," Shin replied. "It might be better for Rei to stay here, where it's a bit warmer."

Rei looked at the ground, feeling a bit guilty about being the reason they had difficulty finding a sleeping place. "I-I think I'd be fine."

"The curse might have worn off mostly, but it's better not to push it too far," Ruka said softly. "But if we could just find a place surrounded by some bushed, we can sleep there."

"It would be safe to take turns in being on guard, though," Yuda said.

"Over there are some bushes," Gai pointed out. It wasn't perfect, a bit too small, and the bushes were a bit too thin, but it was the best they could find so soon. At least there was long grass, so it was of enough to sit comfortably.

It wasn't until he sat down, that Rei noticed how tired he was. Ruka, as usual, sat down right next to him, softly laying his arm around Rei's small shoulders. It felt so warm and safe, as always, and the purple-haired angel leaned against him with a deep sigh. "Who is going to take first guard?"

"I'll do it," Goh offered.

"Then I'll go next," Ruka said.

Gai wanted to be after him, and Shin offered to be last guard. "It might be better if Yuda and Rei both sleep through the entire night." Rei wanted to protest, but decided against it. Yuda didn't seem to happy about it either, but considering his pale face, he was also more tired than the rest of them. Besides, Ruka held him so tightly, he could barely move, So arguing wouldn't really make an impression right now.

"Eh, Ruka? Could you loosen your grip a little?" he asked softly.

"Ah, yeah." Ruka smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. This place just… creeps me out a little now it's getting dark."

"That's probably because of that mansion a few miles ahead," Shin said quietly. According to their research, humans had lived here, about a hundred years ago. That old, abandoned mansion was a leftover of that, but after a series of murders, no one had wanted to go in anymore. The books said that after that, the whole area had been abandoned, and at night, that one mansion spread a strange aura over the whole forest. It had sounded like some ghost story when they had read it, but now, out here, it seemed more than probable. Even better, they had to go inside of the house to get an old book, in order to get a spell they would need later on

It was almost entirely dark now, and they all lied down on the soft grass, except for Goh, who kept an eye on their surroundings. Somewhere far away the cry of an owl sounded, but all other birds and animals had gone strangely quiet. There were also some other sounds, further away than the owl, and not like anything Rei had ever heard before. It was almost like a scream, but too vague and deformed to really be one. Either way, it made Rei shiver a bit.

"Are you cold?" Ruka asked worriedly, turning onto his side and pulling Rei against his chest.

"N-no. Those sounds are just weird," Rei mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed of being scared by some faraway noise.

Ruka chuckled softly. "I'm here to protect you."

"Ruka!" Rei glared at him. "I'm perfectly able of protecting myself."

"Sorry," Ruka apologized, still smiling a bit. "I just… Well, I like protecting you."

"I'd like not needing to be protected," Rei mumbled, before yawning.

"Hey, just go to sleep. And just give me the pleasure of feeling like I'm protecting you."

Rei couldn't help but to smile at that. "Okay." With a sigh, he closed his eyes and snuggled against Ruka. He could feel the other angel's heartbeat against his ear, which was a great distraction from the strange noises out here. It did start to make his neck a bit painful after a while, so he moved a bit and pressed his face against Ruka's neck. That made his beloved shiver a bit, and Rei smiled faintly. "Ruka?"

"Hm?"

"I'd wish we were back home already."

"Are you still scared?"

"That's not what I mean," Rei chuckled. "When we're home, that means if we've succeeded this quest. And you remember our promise, right?" He felt Ruka's breathing hitch when he realized what Rei was talking about.

"How can I forget?" Ruka whispered, gently caressing Rei's soft hair. "Seriously, though, Go to sleep. I know you're tired, and we all have to be in good shape for tomorrow."

"Hm, that's true," Rei agreed, closing his eyes again. "Goodnight, Ruka."

"Goodnight, Rei." Ruka kept caressing Rei's long hair, and it didn't take long until the slender anger drifted off to sleep.

Ruka watched Rei silently, careful not to make any sudden movements, only moving a little so he could see Rei's face. Since he had fallen asleep only a minute ago, Rei would wake up easily, and Ruka didn't want that. Mainly, because he knew Rei needed to rest. And also because he loved looking at Rei while he slept. The purple-haired angel's mouth was a bit open, and his slow, deep breathing was just audible. His long, thick eyelashes almost touched his cheeks. And his skin seemed so snowy white and smooth in the faint moonlight, Ruka couldn't help but to kiss him softly on his forehead. Rei sighed softly and smiled a bit in his sleep.

"You know, you should be sleeping to," Goh commented dryly.

"I know," Ruka admitted. Watching Rei would have to wait until it was his turn to keep guard. Pulling his beloved as tightly against him as possible, he closed his eyes. Rei sighed again, but then kept breathing steadily against Ruka's cheek. That feeling was calming, somehow, and the silver-haired angel fell asleep within a few minutes.

He slept until Goh softly woke him to tell him it was his turn to keep guard.

While Goh went to sleep, Ruka carefully sat up, trying not to disturb Rei. The purple-haired angel stirred and let out a disapproving moan when the warmth and safety of Ruka's body disappeared. "Shhh," Ruka soothed him. Rei's face seemed less relaxed than a moment before, though. Still deeply asleep, but still scared, almost. "I'm still here, don't worry," Ruka whispered, gently pulling Rei's head onto his lap. The feeling of Ruka's body warmth seemed to calm Rei down, and Ruka smiled softly. "You're really cute, you know?" That whisper came out so silent, even Rei couldn't have heard it, but he didn't want to risk any of the others hearing it. Their relationship might be known of by their friends, but that didn't mean a certain blonde wouldn't tease them about it.

"Hmm… R-Ruka?" Rei mumbled sleepily, slowly opening his eyes.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Ruka asked guiltily. "You started to stir when I sat up, so I moved you a bit."

"That didn't wake me," Rei comforted him, with a faint smile. "Hm. I don't really know what woke me."

"Then try to go back to sleep," Ruka suggested. "I can see you're tired."

"I am," Rei admitted. "I just feel a bit… well, not unsafe, since you're with me." Ruka blushed a bit at that. "This place at night… just makes me feel like a ghost could pop out at any second. Not a lost soul kind of ghost, but more of a mean, scary version." Rei's cheeks seemed to turn a bit red, though it was hard to see in the darkness of the night. It made him look even cuter, but Ruka decided to tell him that right now.

"There will always be someone on guard, through the entire night," he said instead. "So there's no need to feel scared or anything. If something potentially dangerous appears, we'll all be woken and ready to fight it in necessary."

"Yeah, I know." Rei yawned, closing his eyes. "If you let me be like this for a while, I think I can fall asleep again."

So he did like it to be lying like this. Ruka felt strangely happy about being useful to Rei, even if only as a pillow. "I'll hold you all through the night if you want me to," he promised softly, making Rei smile happily.

"I'd wish I could do something for you right now," he whispered, a bit guilty. "If I could also keep guard, you'd have more sleep."

"I don't care about that. And you already make me happy by just being here, and laying against me."

Rei's cheeks were clearly red now, and he was still smiling. "I'll try to sleep now."

"Okay. Have nice dreams…" Ruka let his voice trail off when he realized Rei had fallen asleep as soon as he had finished his sentence. His face was completely relaxed again, so Ruka assumed their little chat had helped a bit. Or else, Rei obvious exhaustion had done the trick. Either way, he was glad his friend was sleeping again, since he could use some rest before tomorrow. Searching for that book inside of that haunted mansion wouldn't be easy.

Rei might not have been imagining things when he said he felt like some mean ghost could come out. According to the books on the area, only the dark aura spread over the forest at night. But there had been stories about strange, unearthly noises as well. People who had been inside of the mansion since after the murders, had claimed to have seen people walking around in it, who were nowhere to be found when they followed them. The noises were clearly audible inside the house, especially in some rooms. Probably in the rooms where the murders had been committed. Over the years, the number of people who went inside had lessened. The number of people who had managed to come out had gone to none.

To be honest, Ruka was a little scared himself. Not really because of ghosts. As angels, they should be able to defeat them if they became a serious threat. But in their time on earth, they had watched some horror movies. And Rei hadn't enjoyed those, nor the nights after he watched one. The purple-haired angel would probably be embarrassed if Ruka would tell him that he was scared for Rei, but he really was. Well, there was nothing he could do about it besides staying close to him, and trying to prevent his angel from seeing scenes too twisted and, most probably, bloody.

A faint sound of screaming, coming from somewhere in the distance. Rei twitched faintly at that sound, and Ruka tenderly caressed his beloved's silky hair. No, Rei definitely wasn't going to enjoy walking around in that mansion.

Slowly, Rei woke up. The warm feeling of sunlight on his face told him it was early in the morning. Almost time to travel on. Well, at least he wasn't tired anymore, so he could face it at full strength. With a sigh, he opened his eyes and saw Ruka's face, only an inch away from his. He looked so relaxed, Rei didn't really want to wake him up. No much of choice, though. Gently, he kissed Ruka on his lips. "Wake up, it's already morning."

"Hm?" With a yawn, Ruka opened his eyes, looking at him sleepily. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Rei replied with a soft smile.

"Guess we should wake the others," Ruka said, while sitting up.

"Yeah." Rei sighed. "And after breakfast… we'll go to that mansion." Ruka glanced at him, probably wondering if the purple-haired angel was going to admit he was scared. Rei smiled at him faintly, "Yes, I'm scared."

Ruka smiled back at him. "I'll be with you, you know that."

Some hours later, standing in front of the house, Rei didn't let him forget that promise, standing so close to him they were almost touching each other's arms. "The book we're looking for should be somewhere in the attic," Shin told.

"So, I suppose we should get in," Goh said, reluctantly starting to walk towards the door. The rest followed silently, and Rei almost regretted the fact that the front door wasn't closed. Sure, they would have broken the lock if needed, but then it would at least have taken them a bit longer to get inside. The door opened noisily, due to probably a hundred years of rust in the hinges. The hallway behind it was dark and dusty, with a dusty smell that made it hard to breath. It was somehow light enough to see, though.

As soon as they were inside, the door smacked shut behind them, making them all gasp startled. Shin coughed softly. "Guess the ghosts don't like fresh air."

"Yeah," Yuda responded, clearly trying to act like he wasn't startled at all. "W-well, there's a staircase at the end of the hallway, so let's just get to the attic as quick as possible, and then figure out how to get that door to reopen."

"Okay, but let stay together," Ruka said, with a short glance at Rei. Rei didn't look back, not wanting his friends to notice how scared he felt. They were all in exactly the same situation, so they shouldn't get worried about him, right?

A bit hurried, they walked the stairs, trying not to get caught in the spiders webs. The air upstairs felt even thicker, and less suitable to breath in. and there was also another smell, something Rei recognized, but couldn't quite place. Like something was rotting, maybe?

The stairs had ended at the beginning of yet another hallway, with all doors open. As the stepped forward, some loud scream sounded, chilling them to the bone. All the doors slammed shut one by one, with an almost deafening noise. Rei nearly screamed, grabbing hold of the person closest to him. During their walk up the stairs, Ruka had ended up in the front, while Rei was now behind his friends, together with Shin.

The blue-haired angel seemed just as scared as he was, but allowed him to hold onto his upper arm so tightly it probably hurt. Rei knew, but just couldn't make himself loosening his grip. Finally, all went silent, and they appeared to be alone again. "W-what was that?" Gai stammered. "Geez."

"I… think that were the ghosts," Yuda mumbled. "We'd better hurry."

Carefully, they walked past the doors, watching around for any traps or rotted floorboards. Suddenly, Rei saw that one of the doors wasn't completely shut. Pale light shone through a small crack. Almost automatically he pushed the door, his fear losing from his curiosity. "This one is open."

"Rei, wait…" Ruka started, But though Rei had only given a slight push, the door already swung open, hitting the wall with a bang. And exposing what was inside. The corpses weren't fresh, that was for sure. But they hadn't been here long enough to completely decay, leaving them too deformed and bloody too still be called 'human', but still slightly recognizable as that. And there were at least twenty of them, spread all over the floor.

This time, Rei did scream, but so did Shin a moment later. They happened to be the closest to the door, and too shocked to step back in time, some inhuman force pushed them into that horrible room. The door swung shut behind them, this time completely. And then all went black for a moment.

"Rei? Rei!" Shin's voice sounded nearly panicked. "Wake up! Please…"

Slowly, Rei opened his eyes, realizing he was on the floor, lying in Shin's arms. His friends face was paler than usual. "Shin?" With a shock he remembered, and jumped up, staring blankly at the door. There was no doorknob.

"Yuda and the rest are looking for a key or something to open that door with," Shin told him, his voice trembling. "I hope they'll hurry."

Rei turned around to look at his friend, but his gaze got drawn towards the gruesome corpses all around them, just visible in the light of a small, dirty window. "N-no…" he mumbled, feeling himself balancing on the edge of blind panic, and feeling his stomach turn at the same time. His knees buckled underneath him, making him land hard on the floor, with his back against the door.

Worried, Shin sat down beside him, forcing him to turn towards him and the wall behind him. "Don't look at them," he tried to calm Rei. "Just try not to think about those being there."

"Nng…" Rei moaned, feeling close to vomiting.

Gently, Shin embraced him. "Calm down. They'll find a way to get us free in a few moments." His words would have meant more if he wouldn't have been trembling so badly. "J-just calm down."

Rei took a deep breath, which only resulted in a dry cough, and looked up. "I-I'll be fine. Thanks." Slowly he got out of Shin's embrace. His friend coughed a bit breathlessly and slumped against the door. "S-Shin?"

The blue-haired angel sighed heavily. "Sorry. I-it's just… the air in here is making me a little dizzy."

The air did seem to be getting thicker and containing lesser oxygen as time passed. But this room couldn't be vacuum, there was a small creak underneath the door. When Rei laid his hand on the floor in front of it, he realized something disturbing. "The… the air is flowing out," he mumbled shocked.

"Huh?" Shin felt too, his face getting even paler with fear. "That… that does explain… why the door slammed open like that." He coughed. "But… how?"

"W-what if they don't get us out in time?" Rei stammered, feeling a bit of his panic return. No, he had to keep calm. Panicking would only mean he'd waste more oxygen than necessary. And even though he didn't feel too airless yet, Shin looked a lot worse. "Don't faint," Rei begged. "If you're not conscious, I'll really panic."

"I'm trying," Shin mumbled. "But… I'm so dizzy."

Rei was starting to feel rather lightheaded too, but tried not to let it show. "Hold on. You said it yourself, they'll save us soon." Shin coughed again, his eyes almost closed. "Maybe we can break the window!"

"B-but… the c-corpses…"

"Come on." Refusing to let his fear rob them of this small chance, and knowing he would panic if he would have to admit to himself that there was nothing he could do, Rei made Shin stand up. Together, they walked through the corpses, towards the small window. Touching the bodies made Rei want to scream, but he managed not to. When they got to the window, he had to practically carry Shin to keep him standing, but at least he was still conscious.

"It can't open," Shin whispered. "Can you break it?"

Rei grabbed the nearest thing, a piece of wood, but the window seemed to have some strange barrier, making it impossible to even damage it. "Damn!" he growled uncharacteristically, feeling himself sliding down the wall, towards the floor. Shin fell with him, hanging limply in his arms, eyes closed. "Ruka… Help…" He felt hot tears running down his cheeks. "Ruka!" His beloved couldn't have heard them, and Rei could only hope they would hurry up and get that door to open, before it was too late.

"Ruka…" he whispered again, feeling his body becoming heavy. Slumped against the wall, he managed to let Shin lean against him in a way that even unconscious, they would stay sitting, so they wouldn't fall on one of the corpses around them. His friend was completely unresponsive already, and Rei felt his own consciousness was also fading. But he refused to give in already. Maybe their friends would get the door open any minute now. He didn't want Ruka to be worried about him again.

But the air inside the room was now nearly gone, and his vision became blurry. "Ruka…" he whispered inaudibly. 'Please hurry' he though, unable to even move his mouth anymore. For a moment, he could have sworn he heard some horribly deformed sound of giggling, sending an ice cold shiver down his spine. Then all went black, and his mind went blank.

* * *

**Another long one, and I hope it was fun to read. It didn't end up as scary as I wanted it, though. But at least I could finally end with a real cliffhanger again ;)**

**Will update soon…^^**


	28. Part IV: 5

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

* * *

Everything was strangely blurry, the colors faded in a way that told Rei that he was dreaming. Still, waking up seemed like an impossible task. He was still in the room he recognized as the one with all the corpses. But they weren't here, and neither was Shin. The dust was also gone, leaving the room old fashioned but clean. And something else, the door was open. His mind was too fuzzy to really feel any fear, but still he felt his heartbeat quicken when he walked out the door, into the hallway. It was empty at first, but some strange, muffled sound came from downstairs. Voices. A man and a women.

As he turned himself towards the stairs, the sound became almost completely clear. There was also a noise like someone came running up the stairs, and slowly, like she was fading in, a women came running up the stairs, holding some old book. She wore a old fashioned, but clearly expensive cream colored dress, and her face was somehow blurry. Still, she seemed scared. Too shocked to move, Rei realized she couldn't see him, as she didn't even look at him. In fact, she ran right through him, kicking the air out of him for a moment, but without even slowing down herself.

Gasping for breath, Rei turned around, seeing how she pulled a string at the end of the hallway and a trapdoor in the ceiling opened. Another pull and a ladder came down, which she climbed as fast as she could. At the same time, Rei felt some evil aura coming from the stairs. Probably the man, but this time he did feel fear and he ran after the woman without looking behind. The attic was smaller than he had suspected, and quite empty also. Only a small window provided some light, and there were some books and old furniture standing on the floor. The woman didn't bother to close the trapdoor behind her, as she knew that it would only take the man seconds to reopen it.

Instead, she ran to the most faraway wall, pushing some seemingly random wallboards. With a sound creaking hinges, a hidden door opened, revealing a small, dark room. Inside were stacks of books, old ones, even in the time this woman had lived here. She held the book up for a moment, and Rei saw the strange symbols on the cover. The magic book. The one he and his friends needed.

The sound of someone climbing the ladder scared her, and Rei, even more. So fast, Rei could barely see what she was doing, she knocked on some floorboards, revealing a hidden storage, just big enough for the book. Then she closed that, and the hidden room up again, just before the man entered the attic. The fear on her face grew even more, and Rei immediately knew why, when he turned around to look at the man.

Though his face was just as blurry as the woman's, the raw hatred and anger was so visible it made Rei shiver. In his hand, he held a kitchen knife. The woman started begging for her life, crawling backwards against the wall. The man yelled something at her which sounded like 'witch', but the sound was too deformed to be sure. And Rei could only watch as the man walked to the woman, and roughly slit her throat.

Though he felt his stomach turn, he could stop watching how the man practically skinned the woman. Finally, he stood up and turned around. For a moment, maybe by coincidence, he looked straight at Rei. That feeling of hatred, and pure evilness finally pushed the frail angel over the edge and he screamed.

"Rei!" Ruka yelled, holding his beloved tightly in his arms. For a moment, Rei kept screaming, but it finally turned into stifled gasps. His pale face still showed some fear, but the nightmare, or whatever it had been, seemed to be over. "Rei? Wake up. Come on, Rei."

Finally, the purple-haired angel sighed faintly, and his face tensed. Then, he slowly opened his eyes. "R-Ruka?" His voice was a bit hoarse, due to the screaming, but other than that he seemed fine.

"Rei… How are you feeling?" Ruka asked worriedly.

"I-I'm fine," Rei mumbled. "How… how is Shin?"

"He's still unconscious, but his breathing seems normal," Yuda replied, holding the blue-haired angel gently in his arms.

"We found an old crowbar on the floor, in another room, but it took us at least ten minutes to get that damn door to open," Gai told. "And then Goh and Yuda had to keep it open, while Ruka and me dragged you two out."

Ruka tightened his grip even more. "I… I really thought you were dead for a moment."

"I'm sorry," Rei apologized softly, placing his arms over Ruka's. "It was stupid of me to just open that door without thinking."

"Don't worry about it, but please, don't do it again," Ruka said.

In Yuda's arms, Shin weakly moved his head a bit. "Shin? Can you hear me?" Yuda asked, his voice trembling a bit. Shin's face was even paler than Rei's, and he had barely been breathing when they had finally managed to save them.

"Hm… Yuda?" With a shaky sigh, Shin opened his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Yuda asked.

Shin nodded. "Yes. Rei? You're okay too?"

"I'm fine. And sorry about opening that door."

"Curiosity is only natural," Shin replied with a faint smile. "Don't feel guilty about it."

"By the way, were you having a nightmare or something?" Goh asked Rei. "You seemed scared of something."

Rei shivered a bit at the memory. "It was about this house. I… was inside that room, but without the corpses. Like how it must have been a hundred years ago, when people were still living here." He shortly told about what he had dreamt, especially about the magic book. "I think she wanted to hide it from the man. So if no one has found it over the years, it should still be there."

"So we have to go to the attic?" Gai asked.

"Seems like it," Shin said. "Rei, do you remember precisely how she opened those hidden spaces?"

"Almost completely," Rei replied. "With some trying, I think I can open them."

"Okay, let's go then," Yuda decided. They all stood up, Shin and Rei being helped by Yuda and Ruka. Ruka felt his beloved still trembling a bit, and softly held his hand. Rei, as suspected, didn't pull away. Shin was practically being carried by Yuda, the taller angel's arm tightly around his small waist to support him. He did manage to walk, though.

As soon as Rei had told how to make the ladder come down, Ruka deliberately walked behind the rest with him. That offered some privacy while they waited for their turn to climb to the attic, which time Ruka used to ask Rei if he really was all right. "That nightmare you had… it didn't sound like fun."

"What bothers me is why I had it, and not Shin. He's the one who can control time, so why didn't he see the past?" Rei replied softly. "And… that ghost looked straight at me in the end, that's why I started screaming. He looked so hateful."

"I'm sure he's not after you or anything," Ruka tried to comfort him. "I'm sure nothing bad will happen."

"You can't be sure," Rei said quietly, while following after Gai to climb the ladder. Ruka, as last in line, climbed after him. Even while he knew no one was there, no one could be there, he still felt like someone was following them.

The attic was dusty, even more than the rest of the house. Since the rope of the trapdoor and ladder had been quite hidden, and considering the number of corpses in that room, most people probably hadn't even made it until here. Rei walked forward, towards the most faraway wall, pulling Ruka with him. The silver-haired angel saw the nervousness on his beloved's pale face. "Was it this wall?" he asked.

"Yes." Reluctantly, Rei let go of Ruka's hand and started pushing some of the half-rotted wallboards. Some strange creaking sounded, making Rei stumble backwards into Ruka's arms with a startle. The hidden door opened, revealing a small, dark room. A little light shone in. Just enough to see the skeleton lying on the floor, a ripped cream-colored dress still draped around the bones. Ruka felt Rei shivering in his arms, and at the same time felt some strange, dark atmosphere coming over the attic.

"C-can we hurry?" Gai asked, his voice trembling a bit. For once, Goh didn't say anything about the blonde's lack of patience. They all felt the strange presence of something unnatural, and they automatically moved closer to each other.

"T-that's her," Rei told them, his voice trembling worse than Gai's had. "The women who put the book here. So that man did manage to open this room."

"Let's hope he didn't find that hidden storage underneath the floor," Yuda remarket.

Rei slowly pulled away from Ruka, kneeling at a spot next to the woman's skeleton. "It was around here, I think." He knocked on some floorboards, with no effect. "Or maybe…" After knocking at them in a different order, a small space opened, the book lying inside it. As Rei grabbed the book, a loud gust of wind blew through the attic, even though no window was open. Some broken wallboards and other objects came flying their way.

They all dove to the side, but Rei froze suddenly, staring at something in the direction of the ladder. Without bothering to look what scared his friend so much, Ruka jumped in front of him, covering Rei's slender body with his own. Some heavy objects slammed against his back, a smaller one hitting his head, but none of them doing any damage. When the wind stopped, Ruka quickly checked his beloved, but he seemed unharmed, though he was still staring past Ruka with that look of terror in his beautiful golden eyes.

Finally, Ruka looked behind, at the same time as the rest, to see a blurry shadow of a man entering the attic. It wasn't as much the appearance, as the deep feeling of evilness that seemed to radiate from it. "That's…" Ruka didn't finish his question, already knowing the answer. This must be the man, the murdered, who Rei had dreamt about.

Before anyone of them could respond, the man lifted up one of his arms, and a strange force seemed to push Yuda, Shin, Gai and Goh against the wall. Then he seemed to flash in and out, and suddenly stood only inches away from Rei and Ruka.

"Don't you touch him!" Defensive, Ruka shot at him with his angel powers, but the ghost simply avoided it and slammed him aside. Ruka felt his head hitting a wall, and the whole world seemed to spin around for a moment. No! He couldn't pass out. Rei needed help! Forcing himself up, realizing the ghost still had his friends locked against the wall, he looked at what was happening right in front of him.

The ghost had grabbed Rei's throat, lifting him off the floor. Though the slender angel kicked to free himself without success, he refused to drop the magic book. With a shock, Ruka saw the image of himself grabbing Rei like that, back in those caves. This wasn't the time to feel guilty about that. Pushing the memory away, he shot at the ghost again, not succeeding in freeing Rei, but at least that thing lost his control about the force that was pushing the other Saint Beasts against the wall.

Immediately, they all attacked the ghost. Rei fell to the floor, but immediately crawled away from the thing, the book clutched to his chest. The ghost screamed, a strong gust of wind ran through the attic again, but this time it felt like it came directly from the ghost. Knowing that if they'd stop, the ghost would win, all of them kept using their powers against him, Rei also shooting at him now. Finally, the thing disappeared.

"Ruka!" Rei's scared voice brought him back to his senses, and he realized he had slumped against the wall without noticing it. "Ruka? Please open your eyes!"

"Ouch, my head," Ruka groaned, slowly opening his eyes a bit. A little startled, he stared directly into two big, golden eyes, full of concern, and only inches away from him. "Rei, are you okay?"

Rei smiled softly. "I'm fine. Worry about yourself." His hand gently moved through Ruka's hair. "You've hit your head pretty hard, haven't you?"

"I guess," Ruka admitted.

"Let me heal you." Yuda softly placed his lips on it, and the pain disappeared in a matter of seconds. "Is the headache gone?"

"Yes. Thanks." Slowly, Ruka stood up, pulling Rei with him. The purple-haired angel trembled slightly, his beautiful face still slightly pale. "Rei? Are you…"

"I'm fine," Rei interrupted him. "Can we please get out of this place now?"

Slightly hurried, they left the attic, seeing that one of the doors was now open. Not the one to the room which had nearly killed Rei and Shin, luckily, but another one. A bedroom, with a big photo above the bed. The woman, Rei saw. She was wearing the same dress. The man had stood next to her, but everything above his legs was ripped off. Curiously, he looked at the woman's face, and let out a small gasp.

Apart from her hair being blonde, and her even more female face, she looked exactly like Rei. "That's probably why you dreamt about what happened here," Shin said softly, having seem what Rei was staring at. "She must have wanted to show it to you, because you look like her."

"Y-yeah," Rei mumbled, almost unable to stop staring at the painting. Was it just him or was that woman smiling directly at him? Though he told himself it was just imagination, he couldn't help but smile back at her, just before walking on.

The front door was open again, the house seemed to have lost it's dark magic when the ghost was defeated. Still, even without the strange noises and all, it felt great to be outside again, in the fresh air. Feeling the stress leave his body, his knees suddenly felt like jelly, and Ruka gently embraced him. "Rei? You were really brave in there, holding that book even though that thing was trying to kill you." Before Rei even had the chance to respond, Ruka kissed him tenderly on his mouth. Feeling so safe in the other's strong arms, Rei relaxed, closing his eyes for a moment. The kiss felt too short, but suddenly Rei realized where they were, and that they weren't exactly alone.

Feeling his face turning bright red, Rei stepped back. "S-sorry…" he mumbled. He heard Gai chuckle.

"Let's walk on," Goh said, before the small blonde could make any comment that would have made Rei blush even more.

Walking in a steady pace towards the South, Shin somehow managed to end up walking next to Rei, just far enough from the others to whisper without being heard. "Eh… Rei?" Shin sounded insecure, and he didn't look at Rei.

"Yes?" A little worried, Rei looked at him. "Is everything okay?"

Shin smiled. "Yes. I just… Well, since you told me so much about you and Ruka, I thought it would be fair to tell you… Yuda and I have finally kissed. When he woke up after healing you in those ice caves."

Rei had seen it, and he was pretty sure Ruka had also, but he felt happy about the fact that Shin chose to tell him. "Congratulations," he said with a smile.

"Thanks."

Their friends slowed down their pace a bit, probably thinking the two couldn't keep up. Quickly, Rei and Shin walked a little faster, joining the group again. "Tired?" Ruka asked.

"No, we were just talking," Rei replied with a smile. "We'll keep up with you now." He saw Shin and Yuda glancing at each other, Yuda seeming a bit unsure, probably guessing what Rei and Shin had been talking about, and wondering if it had been positive. When Shin smiled and walked next to him, Yuda smiled back at him lovingly.

"Rei?"

"Eh?" A bit startled, Rei looked up, seeing Ruka looking back at him. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"I said, did he tell you?" Ruka whispered.

So he had indeed also seen it. "Yeah." Rei smiled. "I'm glad they've finally told each other how they feel."

"Hm." Softly, Ruka pulled him closer and gave him a kiss on his hair. "I'm sure they're just as glad. And it's a good reminder of how lucky I am with you."

"Well, I'm just as lucky with you," Rei mumbled, feeling his cheeks turn pink again. Luckily, Ruka just chuckled and didn't talk on about it.

After about an hour of walking, the sun already started to set. They must've been inside that mansion longer than Rei had thought, but then again, he had no idea how long he had been dreaming after passing out in that room. Though he was getting the idea it had been quite long, since he didn't feel tired at all.

"Shall we go search for something to eat and then look for a safe place for the night?" Yuda suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea," Goh agreed.

Food wasn't hard to be found, with many fruit trees around, and there were some bushes to hide between. After agreeing on who would be after who at being guard, and Rei offering to go first since he wasn't tired, the rest of them laid down to go to sleep. Of course, Ruka sat down next to him for a while, reluctant to go asleep while Rei was awake alone.

"Ruka, go to sleep," Rei sighed.

"But…"

"Now." The purple-haired angel gave him a stern look. "Otherwise you'll be tired tomorrow."

Ruka chuckled. "Yes, mommy." It earned him a soft push against his shoulder from Rei, but then his angel suddenly embraced him tightly and kissed him on his lips. "Does this mean I can use your legs as a pillow?"

"Sure," Rei smiled. If that's what it would take to get Ruka to finally go to sleep, then fine. He actually quite enjoyed being the one to hold Ruka while he slept, for it was usually the other way around.

With a soft yawn, Ruka laid down onto his side, his head pillowed on Rei's legs. "Goodnight," he mumbled.

"Goodnight," Rei replied softly, gently caressing his angel's hair. It wasn't long until Ruka's eyes slid shut and his breathing turned deep and regular. Rei smiled softly when Ruka mumbled something in his sleep and grabbed Rei's angel rope. Probably dreaming. It looked cute.

With a sigh, Rei turned his gaze toward the sky. Full moon, but somehow, now the ghost was gone, it didn't seem creepy anymore at all. No strange noised either, just the faint sound of crickets. Wouldn't they have been on a quest, this would have been a great place to camp. For now, he just enjoyed this night, listening to the nightly life in the forest, and having his beloved one so close.

* * *

The ending was a little… cliché I think '*-* Anyway, I hope the first part was scary ;)

Will update soon^^


	29. Part IV: 6

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

**Sorry that I didn't update last week, but I had two field trips with school, and it was my birthday, so I just didn't have any time at all to write… That's also the reason why this chapter is a bit short and not too good, but I couldn't make you all wait another week ;)**

**Anyway on to this chapter. And I know crows are usually used as a sign of evil, in stories. But they're my favorite birds, so that is why Rei becomes friends with one^^**

* * *

A soft sound of talking woke Ruka up. It sounded like Rei, but who was he talking too? When he heard a soft 'koww' he realized his angel was talking with a bird. Silently, he opened his eyes, realizing his head was still pillowed on Rei's lap, and looked up. A big, shining black crow was standing on Rei's shoulder, softly making some noises. Ruka didn't understand what it said, but Rei whispered something back, making some bird-sounds. Neither of them seemed to have realized Ruka had woken up.

"I hope you're not gossiping about me?" he said softly.

A bit startled, Rei looked at him, and the crow produced a loud 'caw-aw-ah!' Quickly, Rei made some soothing bird sounds, to let the bird know that Ruka was a friend. Immediately, it settled down, gazing curiously at the silver-haired angel.

"You've made a new friend?" Ruka asked with a soft chuckle.

"Yes. He flew by, and seemed curious. This is part of his territory, and he know a lot about this forest." The crow made a soft gurgling sound, rubbing it's head against Rei's cheek. "And he's also very friendly," Rei added, gently scratching the bird's chin.

"Did he tell you anything interesting?" Ruka asked.

"Well, it won't be long until we reach the desert, but ironically we have to cross a rather large river first. Eh… with a lot of tasty insects, according to him."

Ruka smiled dryly. "Nice to know."

Rei grinned and then yawned. "By the way, it's your turn in less than thirty minutes, so if you want to catch some more sleep before that, you should hurry."

"Nah, I'll stay awake." Slowly, not too startle the bird, Ruka sat up. The crow looked at him a bit suspiciously, but when Rei leaned against the silver-haired angel it settled down again. "Are you tired?"

"A little," Rei admitted. "But it really feels like I've slept for hours during the day."

Ruka sighed, placing his arm around Rei's small waist. "You were out for more than an hour. That's why I was so worried. And you were dreaming that entire time."

"Ah." Rei didn't really know how to respond to that. "Sorry if I really scared you."

"Hey, it's not like it was any fun for you."

Rei nodded in agreement. "It was… like I couldn't look away, but at the same time I didn't want to know what was going to happen either." Rei swallowed. "I… somehow knew from the start it was going to end with murder, but I also knew that I'd have to watch to see a really important clue. That turned out to be the hiding place of that book." Almost without noticing it himself, he laid his arm over Ruka's, pulling in closer. "Still, it seemed like he was living in the same house as her, and in that picture we saw on the way out, his head wasn't visible anymore, but they were both wearing the same clothes."

"So, he probably was… her husband," Ruka realized. "Geez."

"I can't imagine being with someone just to get something from them, in this case the magic book." He shivered. "That must have been so horrible for her." He tried to imagine what it must feel like being killed by someone who you thought loved you, but it brought back memories of those caves, and the fight against Ruka and Yuda, and realized he already knew more about it that he would have liked. Still, he knew Ruka hadn't been in a normal state of mind, and felt worse about it than Rei did.

"It's no use thinking about that," Ruka sighed. "And we should be grateful that she showed you, otherwise we would have gotten stuck in our quest, later on."

"Yeah." Rei sighed again. "And who knows, she might have found a loved one just as good as you, in another life."

Ruka smiled softly. "If she's anything like you on the inside, then that person is really lucky to have her."

With a soft chuckle, Rei snuggled against him, not saying anything. That wasn't even needed, since they both knew each other's feelings right now. They were both lucky to have each other, and to be given the chance to be able to stay together. Personally, Rei would rather be banned together with Ruka than to be without him again, and he knew Ruka felt the same.

The crow on his shoulder made some soft sounds, telling Rei he had to leave now and go search for food. Rei softly made some sounds back, to let the bird knew they'd be friends. Maybe they wouldn't meet again, but it always could be handy to have a local as friend when traveling through an unfamiliar place. Then, the crow flew off into the darkness of the night, the moon shining beautifully on his almost bluish black feathers.

"Where is he going?" Ruka asked.

"Hunting," Rei replied.

"Ah." The stared at the sky for a while, and after some minutes, Rei felt Ruka's head leaning against his. "It's nearly time for you to sleep."

"I know. Can I use your lap as a pillow too?"

"Why do you even ask?" Ruka said with a smile. "Be a little more confident about yourself. Trust me, it's my pleasure to let you sleep against me."

Rei felt his cheeks going pink. "T-thanks." Before he could get too shy, he turned around and kissed Ruka deeply on his lips. "Goodnight," he whispered, when he finally drew back.

"Goodnight," Ruka replied, his cheeks slightly reddened.

With a content sigh, Rei laid down, his head on Ruka's lap, and one hand on his beloved's knee. He felt Ruka gently caressing his head and back, just like Rei had to him, a few hours earlier. "Mmh… feels good," he mumbled sleepily, relaxing completely under Ruka's soft touch.

"Then I won't stop," Ruka replied softly, and Rei could hear the smile in his voice. Almost immediately after that, he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke, he was laying on his side, Something warm was pressed against his back. When he also realized there was an arm draped over his waist, he smiled. "Ruka?"

"Good morning, beauty," Ruka whispered in his ear, earning a pleasant shiver from Rei.

"G-good morning." Blushing, he turned onto his other side, facing Ruka. "I hadn't even noticed you laying down next to me."

"By the time I was done being guard, you were sleeping soundly. So I thought I'd just lie down against you, since you wouldn't wake up too easily." Ruka's deep crimson eyes looked at him a bit uncertain. "Should I have kept more space between us, since we're not in private?"

Rei couldn't help but to chuckle. "I won't say I don't feel really shy when someone sees us like this, but that's definitely worth it."

Ruka smiled relieved. "Shall we go search for some food, since the others are still sleeping?" he suggested.

Reluctant to get out of Ruka's warm embrace, Rei snuggled against him. "Well, okay," he mumbled. "If you promise we'll sleep like this tonight too."

"If all goes according to schedule, we'll be in the desert tonight. Might be a bit too warm there, to sleep comfortably like this."

"Still, even in the desert, it gets cold at night."

Ruka smiled. "If you want me to, I'll hold you whenever you need. But for now, let's go find something to eat."

"Okay," Rei agreed, slowly sitting up. Ruka stood up first, pulling Rei with him. "Let's stay close by, though. In case the others wake up."

"Good idea," Ruka agreed, softly taking Rei's slender hand into his bigger one. "It's still a bit dark, so watch your step."

With a soft smile, Rei followed him through the bushes and trees, until they found some blackberry bushes. "Looks good," Rei commented, before carefully picking off a blackberry and eating it. "Tastes good too."

"Well, then I guess that's for breakfast, then." Ruka picked a few too. "But I guess we'll have to take our friends to here, instead of taking the berries back to our camping spot. We don't have anything to move them with."

Right, they didn't have a basket or anything. "But we can at least take some with us." Not carefully enough, Rei reached for another blackberry, but pulled his hand back with a pained gasp. "Ouch. A thorn." A deep red droplet of blood formed on the tip of his index finger.

Gently, Ruka took his hand. "I don't have Yuda's powers, I can't heal you. But…" He laid his free arm around Rei's small waist. "Maybe this'll help a bit." So softly that it didn't even hurt, he licked the blood off and kissed the puncture wound. With a pleasant shiver, Rei leaned into him a bit more.

"Ruka…" he mumbled. "Please don't!"

"Why not?" Ruka asked uncertainly letting go of Rei's hand. "You… don't like that?"

Rei smiled softly. "Oh, I do like it. Just… I'd be feeling pretty awkward if someone saw us."

Ruka chuckled. "You're so cute."

Rei's smile got a bit wider and his cheeks colored a bit. "Let's get our friends now, It's getting late in the morning already, and we shouldn't get behind on our schedule."

Ruka agreed, and after getting their friends they all ate breakfast quickly. Then Rei told what the crow had told him about the way they should take, and they traveled on. It didn't take them long to reach the river, and indeed, there were bugs everywhere. Reluctant to walk on, Rei stopped walking. "Isn't there a way to make them leave?"

"Just don't open your mouth while we cross the river," Ruka smiled.

"Well, at least it doesn't seem deep," Shin remarked. "If we walk quickly, we'll be away from the bugs within a few minutes."

"Let's go then." Yuda started walking, taking Shin's hand as he walked past him. Goh and Gai followed.

Gently, Ruka took hold of Rei's hand. "Ready?" Rei nodded, and they followed after their friends. The purple-haired angel gasped a bit startled when he felt how cold the water was, and felt Ruka's grip tighten, telling him that the silver-haired angel didn't like the water's temperature either. All six of them fastened their pace, to get out of the cold as soon as they could. Luckily, it did help Rei to ignore the bugs, even though they walked right through a cloud of small flies.

He felt them hitting his face, and almost yelled. Just in time, he realized that wouldn't exactly make the situation any better. Trying to scare the bugs away, he waved at them, but they came back just as quickly. He heard a muffled 'almost there', sounding like Gai, and hoped the smaller angel was right. The cloud of flies did seem to get less, though, which was definitely a good sign. The border of the river was already visible, but it worried Rei a bit that the flies suddenly seemed to flee. Was that also bad news for him and his friends?

It was, he decided, when he saw some really big beetles flying around. Sure, he loved all animals, but bugs weren't his favorites. And definitely not big ones. "Those can bite," Sin warned, "And they're poisonous, so we'd better try to keep underwater while we pass them."

The water was barely deep enough to dive in, so the angels had to actually crawl over the bottom of the river to keep underwater. When a gigantic dead beetle drifted by his face, only inches away, Rei nearly jumped out of the water. Luckily, he bumped against Ruka, who quickly pushed the beetle away. A bit embarrassed, the purple-haired angel looked at his beloved. Ruka just smiled softly and petted Rei's hand.

Just when Rei felt like he wouldn't be able to hold his breath for much longer, they got to the border of the river. It was far away enough from the venomous beetles to get out of the water safely, and with a relieved sigh Rei started to wring the water out of his hair.

"Geez, when we'll return home we'll have to travel through that again," Gai sighed.

"If we all return safely, I'd be glad to go through those bugs again," Shin commented silently. No one replied, but they all silently agreed. Rei and Shin looked at each other a moment, and realized they were thinking exactly the same. Next part of their journey would be a huge desert. And after that, they'd go through Hell. Literally.

"Shall we travel on?" Goh suggested. "We still have some hours walking ahead."

"We'll have to make sure to find some food before we get to the desert, and especially fruit with a lot of juice," Yuda remarked. "Or else we won't get far."

"Since we don't have bags with us, I could make some from leaves and stuff," Rei offered. "And there are blackberry bushes everywhere here, so collecting fruit won't be a problem, I think. And they should stay fresh for one day."

"Then could you make one during lunch break?" Shin asked. "I'll help, if I can."

"Okay," Rei agreed, before they proceeded traveling. The wind that blew already felt a bit warmer than before, which was nice after the cold water. When they amount of bushes and treed started to lessen, the Saint Beasts quickly had lunch, and while Rei and Shin made some bags to keep fruit in, Gai, Goh, Yuda and Ruka collected blackberries and acorns for later. It all didn't take more than an hour, and some hours later, they stood at the edge of what could still be called forest. Ahead of them, nothing more than heaps and heaps of gold colored sand.

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**I hope you all liked it, and I'll update soon^^**


	30. Part IV: 7

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

* * *

"Geez, it's so hot," Gai complained.

"It's a desert, what did you expect?" Rei responded, wiping his long hair away from his face. The blonde was right, though, it was extremely hot here, and he already felt sweat running down his face. Ruka, who was walking next to him, looked at him worriedly.

"Does your hair bother you?"

"Not really, it's just getting a bit sticky." Rei didn't look at his beloved, feeling a little unclean.

"Hey, no need to feel embarrassed about it," Ruka said with a soft smile. "You're not the only one who's sweating, you know?" He gently placed his hand on Rei's cheek. "You're so warm. Why don't you open the collar of your robe a bit? You're the only one of us who still has it so tightly closed."

Rei looked around, realizing Ruka was right. Blushing a bit, he opened his collar a little. "Better?"

"Why do you ask me? You're the one who's trying to cook himself," Ruka chuckled. "Come here." Carefully, he opened Rei's robe just a little bit further, and Rei tried to keep his breathing steady so his beloved wouldn't notice how much he liked this sort of contact. "Rei? You okay?" Ruka's hand was placed on Rei's partly bare chest.

"Ah, I'm fine," Rei stammered, hoping Ruka didn't sense his heartbeat speeding up. "T-thanks."

"You're not getting a sunstroke, are you? You're so red suddenly…" The silver-haired angel softly moved his hand from Rei's chest to his cheek, making the smaller angel's breathing hitch for a moment.

A bit too quickly, Rei took a step to the left, walking a bit further apart from Ruka. Since they hadn't stopped walking, they hadn't been noticed yet by their friends. Rei wasn't sure if he could live through the embarrassment if they were noticed. He was pretty sure that, apart from Ruka, anyone could see how he felt. "I'm all right, just…"

"What is it?" Clearly worried, Ruka reached out for him again, but Rei pushed his hand away.

"Stop it, or I'll…" He saw surprise and some hurt in Ruka's eyes. "I won't be able to control myself for much longer if you keep touching me like that. It's… kind of… nice," he muttered, refusing to look at his beloved. It went quiet for a while, but suddenly, Ruka chuckled softly. A bit uncertain, Rei looked at him. "What?"

"You have no idea how cute you are," Ruka said softly. "And… next time, don't be embarrassed to tell me. I thought you were annoyed by me for touching you like that."

Rei grinned faintly. "You have no idea how cute you are," he parroted Ruka. His angel just smiled lovingly, while wiping some sweat from his face. "Ruka?"

"Hm?"

"Wait…" Gently, Rei opened Ruka's robe a bit further, revealing most of his muscled chest. "That's better."

Ruka smiled softly. "Yeah. I hope we can find someplace in the shade to have a lunch-break."

"Me to," Rei sighed. "It's almost lunchtime though, and there's still only sand to be seen."

"Yeah," his beloved mumbled. "I'd wish we would have brought some parasols with us."

Rei smiled. "Then it would be just like a beach," he said, trying to take their mind of the high temperature. If they were distracted, maybe it would feel less suffocating hot here.

"A beach minus a sea," Gai responded with a grin. "Wouldn't be much of a beach, without the opportunity to swim."

"Well, we could built sandcastles," Rei responded.

"It would be too dry," Shin informed him with an amused smile.

"Then… I don't know. At least there's enough sand for a thousand beaches here." With a smile, the purple-haired angel wiped his hair out of his face again. "Geez, where did your imagination go?"

"It melted away," Goh commented dryly, with a small chuckle.

They talked on about the subject for a while, until Yuda suggested to go have a lunch break. No shadows to be seen, so they just sat down and ate some fruit. "Ruka? You should eat some more, or you'll get dehydrated," Shin suddenly commented. Rei looked up, not noticing until then how slowly and without any appetite Ruka was eating.

"Are you okay?" Rei asked, softly laying his hand on the silver-haired angel's shoulder.

Ruka looked up a little absent-minded. "Eh? Oh, it's just that I've never really liked warm temperatures that much." He sighed. "And the sun is giving me a bit of a headache."

"Oh, maybe I can help." Quickly, Rei made his wings appear, and even though they were shining with angelic magic, they could produce some shadow, if Rei tried. And they were big enough to shield all his friends from the sun a little.

"But you're still in the sun," Shin commented, a bit guiltily.

"I don't mind it that much," Rei replied, even though he already felt a bit of a headache coming up. Which was only logical, having the sun on his head all day, and looking at the sand that was almost blindingly bright. Well, it was already noon, so it would get night soon enough. At the moment, he just wanted to help his friends, especially Ruka.

"Thanks, Rei," Ruka said, giving him a thankful smile.

"Y-You're welcome," the slender angel replied, blushing slightly but with a happy smile on his face. In silence, they ate some more fruit, but kept much of it for dinner. In half an hour, they had packed up the fruit they had left and resumed traveling. Due to them moving, it was too hard to keep some shadow, so Rei withdrew his wings. Ruka still kept walking close beside him, softly touching his hand every now and then.

Ruka seemed to feel a lot better, which Rei was happy about, but his own head was starting to pound more and more painfully. But the silver-haired angel would feel guilty if he'd let him notice that, so he just kept walking on, pretending to feel fine. Still, he couldn't help getting more and more quiet as time passed, and Ruka started giving him worried glances every now and then. Rei pretended not to notice, trying hard to keep adding to the conversation, but after some hours he slowly fell silent again. This time, Ruka did comment on it.

"Are you okay?" The silver-haired angel tenderly caressed his hair, and Rei sighed.

"I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache, that's all."

He didn't miss the slightly guilty look on his angel's face. "I should have noticed earlier," Ruka mumbled. "And sorry for making you keep me out of the sun during lunch-break."

"You didn't 'make' me do anything, I did it myself," Rei replied, a bit on edge from the headache. "And if I hadn't used my wings as a parasol, I'd still be having a headache now, but then we'd all have one, instead of just me."

Ruka didn't argue, which Rei was thankful about. "Can I do anything to help?" he asked instead.

The purple-haired angel shook his head. "Like I said, I'm fine. It'll be night soon anyway."

"Can I at least take over your time as guard tonight? It probably won't get better if you don't sleep enough."

Rei sighed. "You need your sleep just as much, Ruka. I'm sure you remember what the next place will be, where we'll have to travel through?"

Ruka looked at the ground, with an unreadable expression on his beautiful face. Briefly, Rei worried if he had been too harsh, saying something Ruka almost certainly didn't want to think about. Just when he wanted to apologize, the silver-haired angel spoke again. "That's exactly why I want you to be well-rested and strong tomorrow." Finally, Ruka looked at Rei, the look in his eyes almost begging for understanding. "No matter how I'll feel tomorrow, being there, and being remembered of being trapped in a place like that… I'm going to need you, Rei. Because you're the one I missed the most, so much that I forced myself to almost forget you. If you're with me, and I can rely on you, then I can get through it."

"You can always rely on me, you're supposed to know that. Even if I'd have the worst headache ever and wouldn't have slept for a week." Though he did feel a bit hurt, did Ruka usually think of him as weak? He tried not to let it show. "I'll always be there for you."

"I know. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just meant to say, that if you'd be tired, and get hurt somehow, then… I don't know what I would do. Either I'd completely panic, or I'd run away from everything, from feeling so guilty, and therefore make our quest fail." He swallowed visibly. "Either way, I wouldn't be able to bear it, that's for sure."

"Ruka…" Realizing how vulnerable his beloved had made himself, by showing his weak side, he couldn't think of anything else to do that throwing his arms around him and kiss him on his mouth, ignoring how his head pounded worse due to the sudden movement. Ruka gasped startled, but his look didn't show anything near negative feelings. "I wouldn't let you run away. And if I wouldn't be able to stop you, I'd go with you to the end of the word, how cliché that might sound." He smiled softly. "You'll be stuck with me forever. With all of us, and I'm sure it's the same for Yuda and Shin."

Ruka still stared at him, his crimson eyes glittering in the bright sunlight. "Rei…Thank you."

Their friends politely looked in front of them, instead of looking behind to the two of them, so Rei felt safe to kiss his beloved once again. This time, Ruka actually stopped walking for a moment, wrapping his arms around Rei and deepening their kiss. With a nearly inaudible moan, Rei broke their kiss after a few moments, in need of oxygen. "So… I guess you got the point?"

Ruka smiled. "I know you'll save me from myself," he whispered, before taking Rei's hand and the two of them quickly started walking again to keep up with their friends.

It was already getting darker, the setting sun bringing a golden-red shine over the entire landscape, and making it less blindingly bright. "Wow, awesome," Gai remarked.

"It's beautiful," Shin agreed, his hand softly taking hold of Yuda's. He had heard Rei and Ruka's conversation, as all of them had, and he was glad he already had talked about the same with Yuda. Last night, when everyone had been asleep and it had been Shin's turn to guard them, Yuda had gotten a nightmare again. After Shin had carefully woke him up, Yuda had told him how scared he was of losing Shin's support during their travel through Hell. The hadn't talked for more than a few minutes, since they'd both been tired, but they had ended up the same way as Rei and Ruka, both feeling a lot less scared.

"There are mountains in the distance," Yuda pointed. Indeed, there were. Sharp and pointy, impossible to climb. Overall, they looked plain evil. No wonder, knowing what lurked underneath them, in deep dark caves.

Rei felt Ruka trembling slightly, as the other angel took his hand. "Then… shall we spend the night here, instead of close to them?" the purple-haired angel suggested, knowing that Ruka and Yuda probably wouldn't get a second of sleep if they were any closer to that place. Silently, his friends agreed.

"Who will take first turn standing guard?" Goh asked.

"May I?" Shin offered.

"I can go after Shin," Gai responded.

Rei looked at Ruka. "Can I go last?" That would mean he'd had to get up early, but he knew his headache would be gone after some sleep. Besides a worried glance, Ruka didn't object against it. When they had all agreed on who would be after who, they all laid down, except for Shin. Though Rei had just laid down where he had been standing, Ruka practically crawled up against him. "Ruka, it's already hot enough," Rei mumbled.

"Sorry," Ruka whispered, not looking at him. "It's just…"

Rei just sighed and kissed him. "It's okay, never mind."

With a thankful smile, Ruka closed his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. Rei couldn't help but to look at his sleeping angel for a while, how innocent he looked right now. After some minutes, his pounding head forced him to close his eyes, and listening to Ruka's soft breathing he fell asleep.

"Shin?" Yuda's soft whisper startled the blue-haired angel a bit.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind…" Yuda's voice trailed off, like he was afraid to finish that sentence. Or maybe just too shy. Guessing what his angel wanted, Shin started caressing his hair, trying to comfort him. With a somewhat shaky sigh, Yuda closed his eyes again. "Don't let go of me, please."

"I won't," Shin promised. Hopefully that would keep the nightmares away. At least they were still far enough away from those mountains to actually feel their dark aura, but even only looking at them, knowing what was there, made him feel rather uncomfortable. Well, at least they were together, and it would only be a one-day travel through that place. Still, thinking about walking there, surrounded by all the evil beings living there, and especially all the bad memories it would awaken in Yuda and Ruka, made Shin scared. But he couldn't let it show to Yuda. For once, he had to be the strong one, protecting Yuda.

Right now, his angel was finally sleeping peacefully while Shin kept caressing his soft hair, and the blue-haired angel was thankful for that. After some time, Yuda stirred a bit, and mumbled something unintelligible. When Shin carefully took his hand, still caressing his hair with the other hand, Yuda relaxed again, holding on to Shin's slender hand loosely. At the same moment, he saw Ruka burying his face in Rei's long hair without waking up, probably having the same unpleasant dreams as Yuda. Rei just sighed in his sleep, lazily placing his arm over Ruka's waist, and the silver-haired angel seemed to be sleeping calmly again.

Shin swallowed, trying to relax a bit, but fear kept present in his mind. Tomorrow's travel certainly wouldn't be an easy one.

* * *

**Not much action in this chapter, but they'll get more than enough of that in the next chapter ;) Warning: there'll be a lot of mental abuse and torture… which is so much fun to write *evil laugh***

**But it might take longer than a week to update, since I'll be on a school trip next week… I'll try to write it all in one day when I get back though, so I'll update as soon as I can^^**


	31. Part IV: 8

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

**YAY! 30****th**** chapter already :D**

* * *

With a soft groan, Rei woke up. Something warm was pushed against his slender body, embracing him so tightly it almost hurt. "Mmh… what..?" Slowly he opened his eyes, looked down at the body pressed against his chest, and recognized the shining silver hair. "Ruka," he whispered. "Wake up, you're nearly choking me." Ruka's grip actually tightened a bit, making it impossible for Rei ro breath. "Ruka!" he nearly whimpered, trying to push his bellowed away.

Finally, Ruka stirred a bit, and suddenly gasped startled. "R-Rei!" With his eyes wide from fear he stared at the purple-haired angel's face. Goh, who was sitting guard, looked at them for a moment, but then discretely looked away not to disturb them.

"W-What…" Sighing, Ruka closed his eyes for a moment. "Sorry. Nightmare. Did I hurt you?"

"No. Not really," Rei lied, unable to hide the worry in his voice. "Are you okay? What did you dream about?"

"Just…" Ruka's beautiful face paled a bit, and he closed his eyes again. "I don't want to think about it. It's still dark, let's go back to sleep."

"You're shaking!" Tenderly, Rei kissed him. "Calm down first, or you'll end up having another nightmare." He felt his angel tensing a bit, and then realized there was something wet on his chest. "R-Ruka? You… You aren't…" Almost scared, Rei caressed Ruka's left cheek. Tears. Not many, but they were there. "Ruka…" All he could think of was to hold his beloved as tightly and warmly as he could, placing soft kisses on his hair every now and then. Ruka didn't move, neither did he make any sound, but after what felt like hours, the trembling stopped.

"Sorry for keeping you awake," Ruka mumbled, not looking at him. "I'm fine now."

"Don't worry about it. It's almost my turn to be guard anyway." Rei sighed. "Sleep now."

"Thanks." Ruka yawned. "You really aren't tired?"

Rei smiled softly. "Stop worrying."

"But…"

"Sssh." Tenderly, Rei started caressing his angel's back. Ruka sighed deeply against him, mumbling something unintelligible and then went quiet. "You sleeping?" Rei whispered. No response, which he took as a 'yes'. Good.

"Rei?" Goh asked softly.

"Yes?"

"I could take over your turn as guard, if you'd like to rest a bit more."

Rei smiled friendly. "Thanks, but that isn't necessary. I've slept enough."

Some hours later, while watching the sun rise, Rei suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. A bit startled, he looked behind. "S-Shin. Eh…" Trying to think of an excuse for not having heard him, even though he was supposed to be guard, Rei stared at the ground.

"I walked quietly not to wake the rest," Shin said softly, guessing his thoughts. "Anyway…" He coughed softly, and Rei looked up.

"Wow, you're pale." A bit worried, he laid his hand on Shin's cheek. "Do you have a fever?"

Shin sighed. "Maybe. I think it's because the warm weather from yesterday. But… please help me to hide it from Yuda. He doesn't need any more worries at the moment."

"But he could just heal you."

"You know him. He'll stay worrying over me for days, even if I'm completely healed." Shin looked at him, his big yellow eyes almost begging. "Please? Could you try to distract Yuda a bit? I don't mean to give you any more trouble, but…"

"I'll just do something clumsy whenever you need to cough," Rei smiled. "I'm good at that."

Shin smiled too, and moved a bit until he was sitting side to side with Rei. "You're not clumsy. Just a bit too self-conscious, sometimes."

"Hm," Rei sighed, leaning his head against Shin's. "I guess you're right."

"But…" A bit shyly, Shin looked at the sunset. "You are really enthusiastic, most of the time. I always overthink things."

"Didn't we have that conversation earlier?" Rei asked, faintly remembering.

"Yeah, I think so. Past few weeks just seem like ages."

Rei nodded in agreement. "I can't wait until it's all over. Until we're finally safe." Should he tell Shin about… that one thing? He wanted to, the blue-haired angel was his best friend. But wouldn't Ruka mind? Well, he'd probably understand. "Shin… can you keep a secret?"

"You know I can," Shin smiled, a little worriedly. "What is it?"

Rei felt his cheeks growing red. "Well… Ruka and I made a promise to each other… to…" He stared at the ground, feeling his cheeks heating up even more. "We… If we succeed on this quest, then… I'll be physically his. You know…"

Shin stared at him wide-eyed. "You mean…"

"Yeah. It'll probably hurt a bit, but I can't wait to be so close with him." He felt a smile ghosting over his face. "But never ever tell anyone."

"I won't, that's a promise." Shin smiled softly, not looking at him. "I hope me and Yuda will ever get that far."

"You will," Rei assured him. "Just give it some time. I mean… it sometimes seems like Yuda is even more careful with you, than Ruka is with me."

Shin sighed. "That's because you aren't too shy to tell Ruka you're not made of glass. I'm too afraid to hurt Yuda to snap at him."

"Well, I think it would be better to. I mean, Ruka was a bit hurt too, but he does understand."

Shin just nodded, and together they watched how the sun painted the sky bright red, then orange. Normally, the sky would turn blue after that, but here, so close to that damned place, it kept a faint, orange-red stain. It gave Rei goosebumps, for some reason. How could something that looked so amazingly beautiful, have such an evil feeling to it? He almost jumped up when something dropped onto his shoulder, realizing just in time that it was Shin's head.

Ruka silently sat down next to Yuda, looking at their beloved angels sitting in the golden sunlight. Though it gave their hair a rather strange glow, Ruka imagined how beautiful Rei's eyes must be in this light. But the two were sitting with their backs towards Ruka and Yuda, unaware that they were being looked at with loving eyes.

"Hey, guys?" Yuda called, making Rei and Shin look behind.

Ruka immediately saw he had been right. Rei's eyes looked amazing, shining warmly like pure gold. Shin's eyes looked about the same, just a few shades lighter, instantly catching Yuda's full attention.

"Eh… is there something wrong?" Shin asked uncertainly.

"Wha.. Eh… No," Yuda stammered.

"Just enjoying the view," Ruka mumbled, causing both Rei and Shin to blush and smile.

"Well, we're glad to be of use to you guys," Rei replied dryly. Then he wiped his hair out of his face a bit too enthusiastic, nearly hitting Shin with it. "Sorry," he apologized immediately, while Shin coughed softly. It had seemed a bit off, though. Hadn't Shin already start coughing before he had gotten Rei's hair in his face? Ruka couldn't help but to smirk softly. The purple-haired angel always had been a lousy liar, and Ruka knew him way too good not to see he was trying to cover up something, together with Shin.

"Rei? Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked softly. Rei's cheeks went a subtle shade of pink, but he nodded and stood up. When they were away far enough to whisper without being heard, Ruka laid a hand on the other angel's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Wha… eh…" Rei stuttered, turning red. "Well…" He sighed. "Shin's got a slight fever, but he doesn't want Yuda to know. Because he'll stay worried even after healing him, which would be a bad thing while traveling through… there." With big golden eyes he looked at Ruka. "Please don't tell him."

Unable not to say yes to those beautiful, sweet eyes, Ruka smiled. "I won't. But if it's slowing Shin down in any way, he has to tell Yuda and get healed."

"He will," Rei promised immediately.

"Okay. Then now let's get back, eat some fruit, and then go on with the quest." While starting to walk, he smoothly slid his hand from Rei's shoulder towards his back, ending up embracing his angel's thin waist. Rei didn't move away when they got back to the rest, unlike Ruka had expected him to. Instead, Rei actually moved closer to him embracing him back. Ruka smiled at him uncertainly. "Not embarrassed?" he whispered.

Rei gave him a self-assured glance, which actually looked quite good on him. "In whatever way I can help you to get through Hell in one piece, you can do it to me." His cheeks went red again, probably since he realized how that had sounded. "Well, you know what I mean."

With a soft chuckle, Ruka kissed him on his head. "I know. Thank you." He felt his angel leaning into his soft touch, and it made him feel so glad to have this wonderful person with him. Even better, it made him know for sure that he'd be able to walk through Hell and back. Well, through it and forward, actually.

After eating, and gathering some extra fruits to eat on the way, they started walking towards the mountains. The closer they got to them, the quieter they got. Even Gai went silent after some time, when the entrance of the cave to the abyss got visible, in the foot of the highest mountain peak. The air seemed to become thicker and warmer while they walked on, but it still felt strangely cold. The aura of the ancient evilness in that place was enough to make Rei's heart speed up to twice it's normal pace, every bit of his body ready to fight and defend. The arm around his waist was almost as tense as he felt, telling him that his beloved wasn't liking this a bit either.

The cave's entrance was smoking slightly, a unpleasant scent of sulfur drifting in the air. And it was pitch dark in there, nothing to be seen. "Can we use our wings for light?" Rei asked.

"Good idea," Ruka agreed. "It won't give us more than a few feet of view, though and only if we're close to each other."

"Then you two walk in front. Shin and me will walk behind all of you, I can make some light with an energy-orb." Yuda formed a small shining orb of pure angelic energy, floating about 3 inches above his hand. "Then the rest of us can also concentrate on searching for possible dangers." His voice was steady, but the faint tone of fear in his voice was audible. Shin discretely moved closer to him, wrapping his right arm around Yuda's left arm, obviously trying to offer him some comfort.

None of them felt the courage to chat as they were walking. Hell was the last place they could ever feel relaxed in, that being the home of demons, who were the exact opposite of angels. After a short glance at Ruka's tense face, Rei realized that, even though neither of them looked comfortable, Ruka and Yuda almost seemed scared already. No wonder. They knew more than anyone how horrible Hell was.

The air was smelling more and more like sulfur, the smoke growing thicker and thicker. Rei heard Shin coughing softly, some feet behind him, and realized the six of them were almost walking against each other. For safety reasons, that was a good thing, since even with his and Ruka's wings, and Yuda´s energy orb combined, they could only just see where they were walking. The rest of whatever their environment was, kept covered in the sulfur-smoke. It made Rei feeling unpleasantly vulnerable, knowing that whatever demons lived here, were probably capable to see through the smoke. This place seemed to be deserted, but who knows what might be lurking in the corners. Anything could quietly approach them, and they wouldn't notice until it practically stood right on their toes.

Suddenly, the smoke went so thick they could barely see each other anymore, and the ground seemed to be moving. "I-I think we're almost… in there," Goh remarked.

Shin coughed. "We'd better speed up, or we'll choke before we get through the true entrance."

"But we can't see where we're going," Rei complained, more scared than he wanted to show.

"No choice," Gai responded. "But can we all hold hands? So we won't lose each other."

All agreed on that, and in a long line they started running, Ruka first and Yuda ending the row. Rei could barely breath, almost panicking from the fear of falling into some pool of lava or anything. The smoke went so thick, none of them could get breath, but they kept running. Then, it suddenly ended, the smoke drifting as a wall behind him. Rei felt Ruka pulling him tightly against his side, trembling faintly.

In front of them, as far as they could see, was a giant cave of strange, red stone. Lava was pooling all over the ground. And thousands of demons were swarming towards them, their horrible fangs bared.

* * *

**Sorry that this chapter took so long! I was in France last week, and now my parents are on a vacation, so I have to take care of the house. And then my pet rabbit decided to kill my computer-mouse, so I had to buy a new one… Anyway, the chapter is finally done, and sorry for the cliffhanger XD**

**I promise, however, to update soon^^ **


	32. Part IV: 9

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

* * *

Rei felt Ruka's breathing hitch for a moment, and softly squeezed his hand. All ready to fight, they waited for the demon's to attack, Shin staying a bit behind the others to search for the right spell in the magic book they had found in the haunted house, earlier. Just in time he found it, but there was no time to discuss who's turn it was to cast a spell. Quite frankly, Rei had no idea who's turn it was, but he saw Yuda's terrified look at Shin, and knew that if Shin would faint after casting that spell, it wouldn't be good.

"I'll do it," Ruka said. "You have to… do other things." Like being there for Yuda. Shin just nodded and gave Ruka the book.

The first demons attacked, and Ruka stepped back to read the spell, while the others used their angelic powers to stop the attacks. At the first words, the demons already seemed to freeze. Being unfamiliar with the working of the spell, the angels kept ready to defend until Ruka had the whole spell casted. Rei saw his beloved one trembling slightly, his face getting pale. That spell was so powerful, it must use so much energy to use it. The trembling got worse, and Rei saw the silver-haired angel having trouble to keep standing. Without even thinking about it, he stepped to him, throwing his arms around Ruka's waist to support him. His angel didn't have time to even glance at him, having to finish the spell fast, but Rei knew his friend appreciated it.

"They're almost killed!" Gai tried to cheer up Ruka, "You're almost done!"

Ruka took a deep breath, nearly collapsing in Rei's arms, but finished the spell without even letting his voice falter. With horrifying screams, sending an ice-cold shiver down Rei's spine, the demons exploded in a sea of blood. He heard Ruka making a chocked sound, and suddenly his angel hung limply in his arms, eyes closed. He didn't realize he was screaming Ruka's name until it actually startled him to hear the raw panic in his own voice.

"Ruka!" he yelled, nearly whining it, before collapsing onto his knees, pulling Ruka as tightly against his body as possible. "Ruka, wake up! Don't leave me!" Ruka's breathing felt so weak, Rei felt himself nearly going into blind panic again. "Ruka!"

He barely noticed his friends kneeling down around him and Ruka, until Goh carefully laid a hand on his shoulder. "He's still breathing. Rei, he'll be fine, he just needs to rest."

Rei barely managed to nod, unable to stop staring at Ruka's beautiful, but ghostly pale face. He clearly was breathing, but he looked so terribly weak.

"Rei, we have to travel on before other demons travel to here to see what happened," Yuda said softly. "Can you carry him, or should one of us do it?"

It took Rei's preoccupied mind a moment to register what had been said, but he immediately was sure of his answer. "I promised him I would be do any he needs from me. So I'll carry him." Even unconscious, Ruka might feel his presence, or the lack of it. So he wouldn't let go of his angel, not even a moment.

"I'll help you. Stand up," Yuda said. Rei did as he was told and brushed his hair forward, allowing Yuda to lift Ruka's limp body onto his back. Softly, the purple-haired angel pulled Ruka's legs around his waist, trying his best to support him as gently as he could. His beloved didn't respond at all, his head leaning heavily on Rei's thin shoulder. Still, Ruka's body felt nicely warm against his, making Rei even more determined to carry his angel himself.

"Let's move quickly now. If we get into a fight now, it won't end well," Goh remarked.

"Still, we have to be careful for lava and loose rocks," Shin warned. Walking close to each other, covering as less ground as they could, they started walking.

Feeling strangely sleepy, Ruka opened his eyes, to see himself lying on the floor. But why was Yuda lying there too, with their clothes all torn apart? And where were Rei and the others? Almost panicking, he looked around. Wait. Why could he even see his own body lying there? And this wasn't the same place as where they had been before he had passed out. And everything was so blurry. Trembling slightly, he tried to understand what was going on, but didn't understood it until Yuda woke up and shook the version of Ruka who was lying on the floor. Ruka saw himself waking up, looking questioningly at Yuda, obviously scared. Then Yuda said something. All sound was muffled, but Ruka could just make out what was said to the other version of himself. That one sentence made his heart nearly stopped for a second, and told him instantly what he was dreaming about.

"Ruka… we… we're in… in Hell."

In the real world, Rei felt Ruka's breathing hitch for a moment, but staying unmoving. Worriedly, he looked at Ruka's face. Though his mind was obviously still far away, and his eyes still closed, he looked almost scared. "It'll be fine," he whispered. "Don't worry, Ruka. You'll be okay, I promise."

Ruka, stuck in this memory of the horrible past, faintly felt something coming from deep inside his mind. Something, some sound, that made him feel a bit more safe. "Rei…" he realized, whispering his angel's name almost without noticing it. Without doubt, this nightmare of a memory was going to make him relive all he and Yuda had been through. But far away, but still somehow close, he felt Rei's presence. "I can do it," he whispered. "Rei, I get through anything for you."

Suddenly, the nightmare made a short jump in time, making Ruka gasp startled. Immediately, he recognized the scene. That first night. When it finally had gotten through to him and Yuda that this was real. It wouldn't end. They'd never see their friends again, never even get out of this cave-like place in Hell. The moment in which he realized he's never get the chance to hold Rei ever again, hear that soft sweet voice, see that shy but warm and happy look in those beautiful eyes. That Rei would never know how much he had loved him. Still did. And he had been glad that Rei at least wouldn't know how much that love was tearing him apart inside right now.

Ruka still remembered that moment so vividly, tears almost escaping his eyes when he felt that same emotion again. That terrible helplessness, regret and most of all longing for his angels arms around him. And the realization that he would never have that ever again.

With a strangled gasp, he forced his mind back into the present. He couldn't allow himself to get trapped inside that devastating pain again. This was the past, it was over. Rei was with him, outside of this dream, and he could feel his beloved angel's warmth. That was the thing he had to focus on, not the trauma of the past. Slowly managing to calm down, he watched again.

Yuda was also crying. He hadn't noticed that until his friend had sat up and asked Ruka how he felt. The rest of that night, sleep hadn't been part of their actions. And the morning after, Ruka had started forcing himself to forget. Even though he knew now what the result of that almost had been, he doubted if he'd still be alive if he hadn't done that. For Yuda, it had probably been the same, though he obviously hadn't cast out all of his memories. There had been times when the memories had just refused to disappear, making him so desperate, he had deliberately sliced his own flesh with any sharp rocks he could find. The physical pain could never cover the mental ones, but it had been the only available distraction.

So many times he had done that, scarring his own skin, that he didn't even remember how many times it had been. Yuda had healed him every time, though Ruka had caught Yuda doing the same thing too, a couple of times. Though Yuda couldn't heal himself, the red-haired angel had never gone far enough to leave any lasting traces of self-abuse. Ruka, on the other hand, was pretty sure his skin would look like some kind of reptile if Yuda wouldn't have healed him every time. Even now, he still felt too embarrassed to ever tell Rei about that.

Forcing himself not to remember that any longer, he watched the nightmare making another time-jump, now to the first time they had tried to find some food in that place. Now that he saw it happening again, he remembered how he had accidentally disturbed some small demon-snakes. Before he had even gotten the time to respond, those creatures had bitten him all over his right arm before fleeing. The pain had been terrible, even after Yuda had healed it, but it was even worse to realize that those snakes were the only eatable things here. And their taste was as bad as their temperament.

Well, the first few weeks neither he or Yuda had eaten much anyway. Still trying to block out his memories, Ruka had only been trying not to think of Rei. But this horrible food made him miss the amazing cooking skills of the purple-haired angel. Which again led him to think of everything he missed about Rei.

Another time jump. The Yuda and himself of the past barely talked and seemed more routine. Even more, Ruka saw his own impassive face, the empty look in his eyes. This must be when they had actually started hating Heaven and all angels, including their past friends. What scared him, was the vivid memory of that. He still remembered exactly how he sometimes thought of Rei, accidentally, and didn't feel anything. Nothing. That was a feeling he never wanted to relate to ever again. He loved Rei, but he had been so torn apart he just refused to feel any form of love. Only not caring and pure hate he allowed in his mind, since those were the only feelings at that point that didn't hurt him.

"Rei…" The guilt he felt right now was almost hurting as badly. "I was so stupid…"

The next thing he saw, was how they had finally broken out of Hell, their attempt to destroy all guardian angels and Heaven. How they had hurt their former friends. Unwilling to look, but unable not to, Ruka stared at it with pure self-hatred. No matter how much his love had hurt him, how much he had needed to forget it in order to stay alive, there was no excuse. It had been a fuzzy, nightmare-like memory before, but literally seeing it happen made him realize how wrong they had been. At that time, he had barely realized what he was doing, revenge and hate being the only things on his mind. But this nightmare had woken the deepest parts of his memories, making him see the looks on their friends faces as he and Yuda were hurting so many living beings. That look in Rei's eyes was even worse than that time when he had woken up after Ruka had tried to kill him. It wasn't just hurt and fear, it was so sad that Ruka feared Rei had really wanted to die at that time, only to not have to witness all that any longer.

Ruka felt tears burning behind his eyes, and wanted so much to walk up to the Rei in this dream, to tell hi everything would be all right eventually. He walked towards him, but the whole scene seemed to back up from him as he got closer, so he'd never reach it. Well, it wouldn't have made a difference anyway. There was no way to undo everything he had put Rei through. Still fighting his tears, Ruka forced himself not to watch any longer, but wherever he looked, he saw Rei's beautiful face and those big eyes full of tears.

The nightmare changed again, but this time not too another time, but to Ruka's fears. The cave, where he and Yuda had fought their friends. But in this reality, he had killed Rei. The purple-haired angel laid there on the ground, completely motionless, blood no longer dripping from his throat, but covering his entire chest. That beautiful sweet face, paler than ever before, almost gray. Those warm golden eyes, lifeless and glazed. And it was all Ruka's doing. All his fault that Rei would never smile again, never love again, never even live again.

This time, the nightmare finally won, and Ruka screamed. No, this wasn't true! It was just a nightmare! He hadn't killed Rei, he never could have! "But you would have, if Shin hadn't talked some sense into Yuda," some strange, deformed version of his own voice reminded him. "If you'd have fought him alone, he'd be dead!"

"No!" He screamed that word on top of his lungs, and kept screaming until all went white.

"Ruka!" Almost scared, Rei shook at Ruka's shoulders. The angel seemed to be still dreaming, trying to push Rei away, but suddenly, his eyes opened. "R-Ruka?" 'Please answer me…' Ruka just stared at him for a moment, but then slowly sat up, covering his face with his hands. "Ruka? Are you okay?" Rei asked worriedly, carefully placing his arm over Ruka's shoulders.

His beloved one was trembling a bit, but after some seconds, he finally replied. "Y-Yes…"

"We're already out of Hell for about an hour, but you stayed unconscious for so long," Rei told him, gently pulling his angel into a warm embrace. "I got scared you'd never wake up again."

Ruka was still trembling, but finally let his hands drop from his face, revealing his tears. "R-Rei…" A soft sob escaped him. "I'm so sorry…" Another sob, and this time Ruka kept crying. Immediately, Rei tightened his embrace, allowing Ruka to hide his face against Rei's chest. His whole body shook from sobbing, and he returned Rei's embrace like he was scared that the other angel would disappear. "I'm sorry…" he sobbed again.

"W-what for?" Rei asked uncertainly. "Ruka, what did you dream about?"

"H-Hell, a-and you… w-hen Y-Yuda an me… did all t-those things… you… you l-looked so sad… A-and I killed you!" At those words, Rei saw Yuda looking away abruptly, but unable to hide that he was also crying. Gently, Shin embraced the red-haired angel, and Rei directed his attention towards Ruka.

"It was just a nightmare… memory… whatever." Feeling his throat tighten, he pulled Ruka even closer and buried his face into that soft, silver hair. "And yes, it did hurt horribly how you acted, and that I thought I had lost you forever… But you banned your own memories for that reason, so I know you were hurting in the same way!" He felt his angel was shivering, and realized how tired he probably still was. "Ruka, I was hurt because I thought I'd never have you again, but I have you back now, don´t I? And you were too traumatized to think clearly, that time we fought. The way you are now, the way you truly are, you'd never do as much as hurt me on purpose, let alone kill me." Finally, Ruka's sobs became softer and less frequent, and Rei sighed relieved. "I love you, Ruka. I always have, and I always will."

Finally Ruka's sobs stopped completely, though he was still shivering. "I… I love you too," he whispered.

Rei smiled softly. "So, does that mean you're all right now?"

"Y-yeah. Just…" Ruka sighed shakily. "Let me be like this for a while, please? L-listening to your heartbeat is calming."

"Sure." Tenderly, he started caressing Ruka's hair. "I'd hold you forever if you want me to."

Ruka just sighed deeply, finally relaxing a bit. "W-what happened after I fainted?"

"Well, I panicked," Rei replied with a chuckle. "But then we walked on and I carried you on my back…"

"Didn't you hurt your back?" Ruka interrupted him, looking up at him worriedly. His face was pale, and his eyes more red that usual.

"My back is fine, thank you," Rei answered. "You're not that heavy, you know. Anyway, then we walked through that place, didn't encounter any demons, and some hours later we got out safely. And then we waited for an hour for you to wake up." He sighed. "No matter how evil the aura in that place was, having you unconscious was way more scary to me."

"I didn't mean to scare you," Ruka mumbled guiltily.

"It doesn't matter. The whole point was to get rid of all those demons, so we could get through that place. And you managed to complete that spell before your body finally gave up." He gave Ruka a long, warm kiss on his lips. "You're amazing."

Taking a deep breath, Ruka looked at him with his eyes full of love. "You're even more amazing." Then he laid his head against Rei's chest again and closed his eyes. "I'm so tired," he mumbled.

"No wonder," Rei remarked quietly. Then he looked at the others. "It's already late anyway, so can't we stay here for the night? Then Ruka won't have to walk further."

"Sure," Goh agreed. "This forest seems safe enough, so it shouldn't be any problem. Gai and me will go search for something to eat."

Gai didn't even complain, but when Rei looked at Shin and Yuda, he understood why. The two angels sat in about the same position as Rei and Ruka, though in their case Shin was the paler one. "Shin, are you okay?" Rei asked worriedly.

"Yes. Just…" The blue-haired angel looked at the ground. "Eh, Yuda? I didn't want to bother you until we got out of Hell, but have a slight fever. Could you please heal me?"

"Shin, you should have told me!" Immediately, Yuda kissed him, making the fever go away. "I appreciate you didn't want to bother me, but you have to tell me if you don't feel well. It only takes a second to heal you."

Shin and Yuda talked on for some time, until Gai and Goh came back with some fruit and vegetables they had found. After eating and agreeing on who would be guard after who, Rei felt Ruka drifting off to sleep in his arms. He had agreed on being first, since he wanted to keep an eye on Ruka for some time, to make sure his beloved wasn't having another nightmare. Ruka wouldn't be guard tonight, since he clearly needed to rest some more.

Ruka didn't get another nightmare, but Rei didn't mind it at all to keep an eye on his beautiful sleeping form.

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**So… I'm not sure this is what people expected to be the torture Ruka and Yuda went through in Hell, but it seemed the most realistic thing that could have made them like they were before the others saved them. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter ;)**

**I'll update soon^^**


	33. Part IV: 10

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

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Bright sunlight against his face woke Ruka that morning, making him turn onto his side before opening his eyes a bit. In wasn't until then he realized he was lying on top of something soft and warm. "Rei?" he mumbled sleepily, lifting up his head a bit. His beautiful angel was still sleeping deeply, his doll-like face peaceful and relaxed. With some shock, Ruka realized he was lying fully on top of the slender angel, feeling the other's heartbeat against his chest. Quickly, he started getting off him, but Rei groaned something unintelligible and laid an arm over Ruka's back. Okay, so his angel clearly didn't want him to move away, Ruka understood with a soft smile. Well, as long as it didn't bother Rei, he'd gladly lie here for a while longer.

"Mm… Ruka?" Rei whispered suddenly, his voice low and lazy. It sounded so cute, Ruka couldn't help but to gently kiss his lips, feeling Rei sigh against his own. "Ruka…" Hearing his beloved one say his name that way made a pleasant shiver going down Ruka's spine. He sounded so sweet, so innocent and yet so sexy. Then, Rei's eyes slowly opened, revealing those big, golden orbs. The frail angel smiled sleepily when he recognized Ruka, making him look even more cute.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Ruka whispered, guiltily watching how the look in Rei's eyes became a bit worried. "You could make me do anything, you know?" he added immediately, trying to let Rei know it had been just a remark, not a true worry. The smile returned on the purple-haired angel's face.

"Same here," Rei mumbled, his cheeks coloring a bit. "So… am I a nice mattress?"

Ruka chuckled. "You're the best I've ever slept on."

"Thanks," Rei whispered, but with a happy little smile on his face. "You're a really good blanket."

"Thanks." With a sigh, Ruka got off him, sitting up. Rei sat up beside him, and together they stared at the sunrise for some time. Until finally, Rei had gathered enough courage to ask Ruka; "How are you feeling? I mean, after yesterday."

Ruka didn't reply instantly, but after a moment of silence he finally answered. "I'm okay. The nightmare… it tore open some wounds I thought had been closed already, but the only thing that matters is that you were with me when I woke. It really felt like a lifeline, how you held me." Ruka sighed somewhat shakily, and Rei immediately took the angel's hand into his own. The taller angel squeezed it softly. "The part that really got to me, though, was when I dreamt about us fighting. Only in that nightmare, you… you didn't survive." He didn't look at Rei, he just couldn't. "That's why I wanted to be held by you so badly, to be able hear your heartbeat. To have constant prove that you're still with me."

"Ruka…" Not knowing what to say, Rei just kissed him softly. "I'm always here for you. You don't have to be scared."

"I know. That nightmare was just so vivid, it somehow managed to really scare me." He sighed deeply. "Well, I'm all right now, so let's just go search for fruit already. That way, we can eat as soon as the rest wakes up."

"Okay," Rei agreed, while Ruka stood up and pulled him along. "I hadn't thought you'd be awake so early, though. You seemed exhausted yesterday."

"Yeah, but I've also slept most of yesterday, and… crying made me feel sleepy." At speaking those last words, Ruka's cheeks colored slightly red.

"Hey, you don't have to feel embarrassed about crying," Rei said softly, knowing what his friend was being shy about. "I'd be more worried if you wouldn't have shown any emotion at all, after you had that nightmare."

His beloved one smiled shyly after hearing that. "You're absolutely right. It… just makes me feel so self-conscious, knowing it must have looked. How I must have looked."

"Ah." Thinking about the right thing to say, to express his feelings without making Ruka feel even more shy, Rei looked at the trees around them. They were extremely large and lively, though he saw no animals. "You had your face against my chest, so I couldn't really see how you looked. But how you were leaning against me, all trembling and sobbing… it didn't made me feel any disgust, if that's what you're scared of." Ruka nodded faintly, not looking at him, so Rei continued. "It only made me feel so… so sad that you had to go through that. I truly just wanted to hold you and make any pain go away. I wanted to make you feel better, so badly it almost hurt that I couldn't."

"But…" A bit surprised, Ruka looked at him. "You're the only one who could. And you did. Like I told you, being held by you and hearing your heart beat were the only things I needed at that point." Ruka's cheeks went a bit red again. "And your voice, and your scent, and… you. Every single thing about you."

Rei felt his cheeks heating up about ten times redder than Ruka's. "Ah… T-that's good, then."

With a soft chuckle, Ruka took his hand. "You're so cute when you're blushing," he whispered, before kissing the slender angel gently on his lips. "And there is a good thing to that dream too, by the way." Rei looked at him questioningly, and Ruka continued with a smile. "I made me realize once again, how lucky and happy I am… that you love me. That you allow me to be yours, and you're mine."

The purple-haired angel smiled shyly, but happy. "Just so you know, I consider myself just as lucky to have your love."

Walking the rest of their search for food with each one arm around the other's waist, they kept quiet, but it was definitely a good kind of silence. All that was needed to be spoken, had already been said, leaving them both in a good mood. When they got back to their friends, everyone was awake already, so they ate quickly and then left to travel on.

"Shin, was there something to watch out for in this place?" Goh asked, trusting on Shin's photographic memory.

"Yes, if I remember correctly, there were many poisonous demon-snakes in the middle of this forest," Shin replied. "And other than that, we should be mindful of the fact that, as soon as demons discover what happened in the part of Hell we just went through, they will come after us for revenge."

"Which means we should be extra careful on our way back," Gai sighed. "I don't think they'll forget about this soon."

Rei just listened quietly, looking at the bushes and trees around them every few moments. It still seemed peaceful at this time, but he couldn't help getting a bad feeling about the way they were heading, which was getting worse while they walked on. When someone suddenly tapped his shoulder, he gasped startled.

"Bad conscience?" Gai grinned, withdrawing his hand. "Having some dirty thoughts about R…"

"No!" Rei interrupted him, before Gai could say Ruka's name. Still, he felt his cheeks going bright red. "I… I was just thinking about those demons."

"Do you feel it too?" Gai asked seriously. "Like we're heading for something bad."

"It feels… rather threatening indeed," Rei admitted. "But we don't have nearly enough time to walk around this forest, right."

"None of the books even mentioned how big it is," Yuda remarked, having overheard their conversation. "But as long as we keep our eyes open, we should be fine."

"In theory," Shin replied silently. "The biggest danger are possible demons looking for revenge. The demon-snakes that live here aren't usually deadly to angels, especially high-ranked ones like us, but it's their numbers that might be a problem. Another thing the books didn't mention were how many of them live here, but there must be over a hundred at least. If they all attack us at once, they're undoubtedly deadly."

"Nice to know," Gai grumbled. "Can't we fly over them?"

"To be sure no to encounter them, we'd have to fly over the entire forest," Yuda answered.

"Which would be a twenty hour's flight at least, and we wouldn't be able to take breaks," Shin added to that, looking at Rei and Ruka. "I don't know if it would be wise to weaken two of us so much before getting to the next place."

Ruka, as to be expected, looked at Rei. The purple haired angel sighed. "I don't mind. As long as there isn't too much wind, and we'll be able to sleep a bit longer next morning, I'm fairly sure my body would be able to keep up. Ruka? Can you take it after all that happened yesterday?"

The silver-haired angel nodded. "Sure, if we can have a good rest after that."

"We'll be ahead of schedule, since crossing this forest would take three days by foot, so that'll be no problem," Shin said.

"Okay then. Just one thing, Ruka. I don't think it would be fair to have you carrying the heavier ones, so could you carry Goh and Gai? Then I'll carry Yuda and Shin." He looked at Ruka face to face, wordlessly telling him not to argue about this.

"But…" Ruka started, being immediately interrupted by Rei. "I want to carry Shin!" Ruka looked at him a bit afoul.

"Eh, we're not collectables," Shin chuckled.

"I know." Rei blushed. "It's just…" He didn't finish that sentence.

"You still feel guilty about something that isn't your fault," Shin concluded silently.

Rei sighed. "Guilty or not, I just feel that I have to make it up to you."

"By carrying me?"

"By not letting it happen again," Rei said softly. "Every time I've been flying while carrying you since that day, I've been scared of dropping you. If I let Ruka carry you before I get rid of that fear, I'll have it forever."

Shin just looked at him for a moment, but then smiled softy. "I understand."

"Then, should we go now?" Ruka suggested, bringing out his wings. Rei did the same, and within minutes they flew off into the sky.

Rei felt that Yuda, though slender, was a bit heavier than Shin, but not so much that he had trouble keeping them in the air. He did feel slightly stressed though, holding on to Shin's hand a bit tighter than really necessary, but his friend was thoughtful enough not to mention it.

"We'd better watch out for whatever can attack us from the ground," Goh remarked. "Those demon-snakes can't fly, but some species of demons can."

"That's right. I don't think we have to worry about them yet, but it won't take longer than a few hours before they find out their numbers have decreased," Yuda replied.

"Rei and me can concentrate on flying as fast as possible, so if you guys watch the ground, I'm sure we'll be fine," Ruka said, speeding up a bit. Rei followed him quickly, secretly enjoying looking at Ruka right now, at how his hair was waving in the wind and his wings were glittering in the bright sunlight. He looked amazing, as always.

For some hours, they just kept flying, most of the time in silence. Suddenly, though, there was some movement to be seen on the ground. "There are demons down there," Goh warned quietly.

"Maybe they won't see us if we just stay quiet," Gai suggested nervously.

"Crap… Too late!" Ruka suddenly said, flying a bit higher when grey arrows came shooting towards them. Rei realized he had dropped down a few feet, trying to see to ground better, and now had to try his best to stay out of the arrows' range. Some winged demons followed the arrows. While Ruka and Rei flew as fast as they could, the others used their angelic powers to fight them off. They could only fight with one hand, though, giving the demons an unfair but large advantage.

Some of the creatures started shooting back. One dark energy-orb came past Rei's face with only an inch distance. Scared and distracted, he tried to fly faster, not paying attention to their surroundings. Tat prove to be a big mistake.

"Watch out!" he heard Yuda yell, but by the time he saw the demons launching their attack, it was already too late. Over ten energy-orbs came towards him, and he could only dodge most of them. To prevent Yuda and Shin from being hit, he had no choice but to let three of the orbs hit his body at full force.

The air got knocked out of him, still he tried to scream from the pain. He felt himself going limp for a moment, but he couldn't let his friends fall, not again! With all the strength he had left in him, he dove down, using gravity to gather so much speed that the demons couldn't keep up with him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ruka doing the same, shooting him a worried glance. Choosing to ignore it, it wasn't like he had the time to mind his injuries, he sped up even more.

Some demons were also following, though, while forming dark energy-orbs already. With some shock, Rei realized that they were planning on literarily bomb them with those. Energy-orbs of such force, and so many combined, would be like getting caught in the middle of a rather big explosion. Ruka sped up even more, obviously trying to make the distance between them and the demons as big as they could, before they would have to land.

The purple-haired angel tried, he really did, but his body was already starting to collapse. He felt blood flowing, and pain, but his hazy mind was too far gone already to have any idea where he was injured, let alone how bad it was. "Ruka!" he tried to yell, but it came out as a strangled cry. "C-can't… much longer…" The world started spinning, forcing him to stop talking and catch his breath. Thankfully, Shin got the message through. "He's too badly hurt, we have to land!"

"Rei, can you see that spot between those oaks down there?" Ruka asked urgently. Rei nodded. "Let's land there!"

Following Ruka, he dove down. Behind them, the demons finally launched their attack. From that point, all went too quick to think.

Though too dizzy to see well, Rei managed to drop Shin and Yuda safely on the ground. Ruka did the same with Gai and Goh, and the four of them hid in the bushes. Ruka also landed and run after them, but Rei suddenly felt his wings withdrawing against his own accord. Somehow, he did land on his feet, but his legs gave in underneath him. "Ruka!" he whimpered faintly, collapsing to the ground. He saw the fear in Ruka's eyes when the silver-haired angel looked back and saw him lying there.

Although half unconscious, Rei did realize why. He had fallen exactly in the path of the energy-orbs. Desperately, he tried to crawl away, feeling the blood-loss weakening him too much to even push himself off the ground. Dropping back down, he rolled onto his back. For a second, he saw the energy-orbs closing in on him, only mere seconds left before they would hit and undoubtedly kill him. Then something suddenly covered him, something warm and soft.

"R-Ruka!" he gasped, terrified when he realized that now Ruka would get hit.

His angel, his beautiful, strong, loving angel, just looked at him for that second they had left before the impact. Those crimson eyes were full of fear, but not a bit of doubt was in them. Then, there was a loud crash, the pressure made it impossible to breath, and Rei felt his consciousness slipping. What made him cling onto the waking world, was how he heard Ruka's pained scream, and felt his beloved's body tense in agony.

Acting in a reflex, not considering any danger at all, Rei pulled his arms away from underneath Ruka and shot back at all force he could gather, his own energy-orbs creating a somewhat protective shield around them. He didn't feel anything anymore, but Ruka stopped screaming and merely gasped a little, so he assumed it was working. Then, as quick as it had hit them, it was gone, and the forest and clear sky were back in view.

Rei smiled softly, while he used his last bit of energy to let his arms drop across Ruka's back. At least his beloved was save. Then the world went dark around him, and he knew no more.

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**I'm a little late, I know, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait ;)**

**I'll update as soon as I can^^**


	34. Part IV: 11

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

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"Rei!" Ruka gasped, too afraid to move, too scared to hurt his beloved even more. He had felt the purple-haired angel going limp underneath his own body, felt Rei's arms dropping down. They now laid across his back, painfully on the wounds that the demon attack had caused, but slightly reassuring. The fact that Rei didn't move, didn't open his eyes, almost didn't breathe… That nearly made him panic.

"Ruka, Rei? Are you okay?" he heard someone ask, but all he could concentrate on was his beautiful angel lying here so quietly, his face as white as snow and a bit dirty from the mud they were lying in. While their friends ran towards them, Ruka tried to get off him but realized his body wouldn't work as he wanted it to. With much effort he managed to roll off Rei. He hadn't anticipated, though, how badly his own body was injured. His back screamed in agony, making him gasp and almost cry out in pain. Rei's left arm was also trapped underneath him now, making it even worse. His mind was spinning dizzily from sheer pain, forcing him to close his eyes.

"Hey! Ruka, stay awake!" someone yelled.

With some effort, managed to reopen his eyes and recognized Yuda. "H-heal Rei…" he begged. Even though he was in almost too much pain to bear, Rei was more important right now. All he knew was that the smaller angel was unconscious, for all they knew his wounds could be fatal. Ruka didn't feel like the wounds on his back were deadly, so that made him less urgent than Rei.

"Okay," Yuda nodded, and then turned towards Rei's unmoving body. Ruka felt his eyes slipping shut again, but refused to give in to the darkness that started covering his view. He couldn't faint. Not as long as Rei was still hurt.

"Ruka?" he heard Goh ask. "Can you turn onto your stomach? All your injuries seem to be on your back."

"O-okay," Ruka mumbled, trying to move. His back protested painfully, and his legs simply refused to respond to his brain. "D-damn… I can't."

"Try to move at least a little," Goh said, helping him to turn over, and off Rei's arm. I hurt horribly, but Ruka managed to keep his eyes open en turn his head to be able to look at Rei. The purple-haired angel was fully healed now, but still hadn't woken up. What worried Ruka most, though, was the fact that Rei's beautiful face was still so strangely pale. "Rei…" he whispered, weakly grabbing his beloved's hand.

"Ruka? Try to lay still," Yuda said, leaning over him to heal his wounds.

"No problem," Ruka mumbled, concentrating fully on Rei, instead of on his own pain. Within a minute his injuries were healed, and he quickly sat up after thanking Yuda.

As if he had waited for this moment, Rei blinked slowly before looking up to him. A soft smile appeared on his face. "R-Ruka…" Tears welled up inside those breathtaking golden eyes. "I-I though you w-were going to d-die," he whispered, carefully sitting up. "I'm so glad…"

Before Ruka could even find the words to respond, two gentle arms were thrown around his neck and his lips were captured in the sweetest, most loving kiss he had ever received. Almost automatically, he returned the embrace, pulling Rei into a warm embrace, so close he could feel his beloved's heart beating. While they were kissing, Ruka saw that color had almost fully returned to Rei's face, making him look a lot less fragile and even more gorgeous.

When they finally broke their kiss, both of them gasping for breath, Rei practically collapsed against him. "Rei? Are you okay?" Ruka asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. Just…" Without replacing his head from Ruka's chest, Rei looked up, smiling shyly. "Do you remember what you said after that nightmare?" Rei closed his eyes. "I woke up right after Yuda had healed me, but… I was so afraid that if I'd open my eyes, I would find out that you were dead. Before I passed out, I still heard you gasping, so I knew deep inside you were all right, and I heard you whispering and I felt you grabbing my hand, but I was just too afraid to take the risk of opening my eyes." A tear finally slid down his cheek. "I just wanted to hear your heart beat." He took a deep breath and reopened his eyes. After another moment he sat up, returning Ruka's worried glance. "I'm okay. A bit tired, maybe. But I'm fully able to fly on, preferably before those demons catch up with us."

"During that explosion, we killed the closest ones. The ones who can't fly won't be here so soon," Gai told him, uncharacteristically quietly.

"Are you both able to fly?" Shin asked. "Otherwise, we should be prepared to fight."

"I can fly on," Ruka nodded. "But…"

"I can too," Rei interrupted him with a short glance, telling him not to argue. "I already said that."

"But…" This time Rei openly glared at Ruka. "Rei, I just wanted to ask if I should carry Yuda and you take Gai."

"Your back was used as a shooting target. The loss of blood makes me a bit tired, that's true. But you lost just as much, if not more," Rei said quietly. "So there's no reason to make it any harder on you to fly."

Ruka sighed. "You're right." He didn't look too convinced, though. And his beautiful face was tense from worry.

Silently, Rei leaned over to him, pushing Ruka a bit backwards. With his hair hiding their faces from their friends, Rei kissed him slowly, keeping his golden eyes on Ruka's crimson ones. His beloved stared at him almost shocked, automatically returning the kiss. Suddenly, Rei pulled back, whispering; "Stop worrying. I'm in better shape that you right now, and you know it."

"I know," Ruka whispered back, captured by those dark-golden eyes. Rei knew it, and it made him blush a bit to realized what effects he had on his beloved. The silver-haired angel smiled softly. "Rei… You're making me a bit… dizzy."

"S-sorry," Rei mumbled, his cheeks turning as red as Ruka's eyes. "I just wanted you to feel less stressed out."

"It worked, my angel," Ruka replied quietly, and still smiling. "Let's go now, before I'll get unable to control myself." That last line was nothing more than a whisper, but it was enough to make Rei's cheeks keep their red color for a while. "You're beautiful, especially when you're looking like this."

"Eh, I'm gonna throw up if you two don't stop soon," Gai complained.

"Ah… S-sorry!" Quickly, Rei stood up, dragging Ruka with him. "Eh, shall we go then?"

"Okay. So… Who'll carry who?" Shin asked.

"I'll carry you and Yuda again, and Ruka will carry Gai and Goh," Rei replied.

For the rest of their flight, the demons didn't catch up with them again. Rei was thankful for that, not so much because of his own tiredness, but more importantly because of Ruka. The silver-haired angel was obviously just as tired due to blood-loss, but Rei knew that if they'd get attacked again, his angel would surely try to protect him. And probably get hurt himself, which Rei didn't want to see happening again.

True, he was incredibly thankful and happy that Ruka was willing to put his own life on the line for Rei's, but how he had felt when he had thought that his beautiful, strong angel was dead… he wasn't so sure if he'd find it worth the price if Ruka would actually die for him. Quite frankly, if his beloved would get killed, he'd rather get killed with him, rather than to have live with that feeling of guilt for the rest of eternity.

Around six o'clock pm, they finally reached the end of the forest, near a large river. The plan had been to cross that river tomorrow, but for safety reasons they flew to the other side right now. Even though some of the demons had the ability to fly, the chance was big that they would lost track of the six angels if there would be a river between them. On the other side, there weren't trees, just a huge landscape of grass and hills, but it seemed safe enough to spend the night. Besides, neither Rei nor Ruka had the energy to travel any further today.

After eating the last bits of fruit they still had left and do the daily discussion about who would be guard after who, it was already getting dark outside. Yuda, Goh and Gai decided to go fishing, so they could take some food with them tomorrow, and Shin stayed with Rei and Ruka, a few feet away from the water. It didn't take long until Ruka fell asleep while leaning against Rei's shoulder, but the purple-haired angel didn't really feel particularly sleepy himself. Tired, yes, but not sleepy.

"Rei?" Shin asked suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Did you get rid of your fear already?" Shin seemed a little shy to ask, looking at the river instead of at his friend.

"Well…" A bit surprised by the question, Rei thought about it. "A bit, I guess. I mean, this time I didn't drop anyone. Just myself." That last part came out with a slight chuckle. "Sorry if I made you feel awkward."

"You didn't, don't worry," Shin smiled. At the edge of the water, they could hear Gai yelling something about 'stupid fish', and the sound of splashing water. A few moments later, the small angel practically jumped out of the water, soaking wet, and nearly got dragged back by a huge fish.

"Who is catching who?" Rei chuckled.

"Seems like the fish is going to win," Shin grinned, when Gai finally lost grip of the own-made fishing-rod. The fish was out of sight in moments, and Gai crawled out of the river while looking like a drowned cat.

"Hm," Rei smiled, leaning his head on top of Ruka's. For some moments, they silently watched their friends fishing. The sun was already starting to set, quite early, providing the landscape and everything on it with a warm, golden glow. "Is there anything to be careful of in those hills? I don't really remember reading about it anymore," Rei admitted, a bit embarrassedly.

"Not really. Just the weather, according to the books. There appear to be a lot of heavy rainstorms and even thunder there, during daytime. So it's probably best to stay on the ground, that way there'll be less danger of being hit by lightning."

"I really don't like thunderstorms," Rei sighed. Not only did they prevent him from being able to fly, since that was simply too dangerous, but he also disliked the harsh noise that the thunder made. It made him feel unsafe, so he wasn't exactly looking forward to being outside on grassland during a thunderstorm. Ruka seemed to, unconsciously, sense his discomfort, since he suddenly groaned softly and snuggled closer against his beloved one.

"Rei?" Shin asked, giving him a worried glance. "Is something wrong?"

"No, just… I hope we won't encounter a really big storm," Rei replied quickly, with a soft and reassuring smile. It was childish to be afraid of thunder, right? In anyway, he didn't want his friend to be concerned about him.

"I think no one really enjoys being outside with lightning," Shin remarked quietly. "It's nothing to be ashamed about."

"You're right," Rei admitted.

"And at least there shouldn't be any demons on this side of the river, so we won't get attacked again," Shin sighed quietly. "It was terrible to look at, when you and Ruka got hit by those energy-orbs. Even worse because none of us could do anything to help you."

"Well, at least we all survived," Rei replied, a bit unsure. "That's what matters, right?"

"Indeed, but trust me, when that thing hit you and Ruka, it didn't seem like it was even possible to survive something like that."

Rei only sighed, not knowing anything to say, and leaned his head against Shin's. The blue-haired angel leaned against him too, and together they watched their friends for a while longer. Things had quieted down at the riverside, Yuda and Goh were still fishing while Gai laid on the ground, partially on Goh's lap and apparently sleeping. He had his legs pulled up underneath his body, making him look more than ever like a cat.

"Shin?"

"Hm?" his friend mumbled sleepily.

"You didn't bring your harp, I guess?"

"No, sadly. I was scared it would get broken on the way," Shin replied. "And there aren't any trees here, so I can't make one either."

"Too bad," Rei sighed. "But indeed, it probably wouldn't have survived the journey so far. We barely did."

Shin chuckled softly. "That's a nice thought."

The others came walking back, their bags full of fish. Since they didn't have a refrigerator with them, Yuda and Goh used salt to pickle them, so they wouldn't start putrefy. Gai had indeed fallen asleep, but none of them found it necessary to wake him. It was getting quite late already anyway, and Yuda had the first turn of being guard. After some minutes, when they were done with pickling the fish, Yuda sat down next to Shin, and Goh next to where he had laid Gai.

Rei immediately sat up, no longer leaning on his friend, and leaned his head on top of Ruka's again. With a sigh, Shin leaned against Yuda, allowing the red-haired angel to gently embrace his shoulders. It didn't take anyone long to fall asleep that night, except for the ones that were sitting guard. During Rei's turn being guard, though, he heard the faint sound of a thunderstorm in the distance. It didn't sound like it was coming closer. In fact, it seemed to be concentrated on the area behind the first few hills.

For some reason, he wasn't particularly looking forward to tomorrow.

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**Short… and probably not that good, I know… But I didn't have much time to write, and I wanted to upload this chapter before the end of the weekend ^^'**

**I'll update soon, and hopefully with a longer chapter^^**


	35. Part IV: 12

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

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In the morning, Goh and Yuda catched some more fish, so they wouldn't have to use their reserves yet. Gai mumbled something about cats being lousy teachers and fish being evil, and stayed with the rest. Shin and Ruka watched their friend's fishing, while Rei tried not to listen to the sounds of thunder. Was it just his imagination, or did it sound louder than it had last night? It didn't sound closer, though. It was still centered behind the hills, it was only the volume that had tuned up.

"Rei? What's wrong?" Ruka really knew him too well, sometimes.

"The thunder. It sounds louder than yesterday," he replied quietly.

"I noticed to. It probably means we should hurry up, before it gets even worse," Shin replied.

Gai chuckled. "Yeah, or we'll get fried. Rei, I wonder if you'd taste the same as fried chicken?" Before even finishing that sentence, he already jumped to his feet and ran, just in time to avoid Rei's attack. "I was just kidding! Don't be so angry!"

"Come here you!" Gai kept running, but Rei was a bit faster. Luckily for the blonde angel, Goh and Yuda came back with fish, so they stopped their small fight to eat with the others. It had lightened up Rei's mood a bit, though. Which was the only reason he wasn't really angry about Gai's 'fried chicken' joke.

"Don't worry, you taste too sweet to be mistaken for fried chicken," Ruka whispered in his ear, which earned him a soft hit against his head with a fish's tail. The silver-haired angel grinned, and Rei couldn't help but to smile a bit too. At least his friends didn't seem to have such a bad feeling about today like he had himself, so it was probably only caused by his fear of thunder. That reassured him a bit, though the uneasy feeling still wouldn't disappear.

Some minutes later, they starting walking towards the hills. That would take them at least an hour by foot, but even though the storm wasn't located directly here, it still would be a risk to fly. In these grasslands, even on the ground they would be the highest point. In the air, they'd be sure to get hit.

"Geez, this landscape is boring," Gai complained. "Why aren't there any trees here?"

"There used to be," Shin replied, pointing at some burned wood sticking from the ground. "It doesn't look like that has happened recently, though. The wood has already rotten away, for the most part."

"So, do you think the storms used to be more spread out over the landscape, or did they move from the riverside to deeper onto the grasslands?" Goh asked.

"I don't know. The books didn't say much about this place, but I guess in all the years the climate has to have changed a bit," Shin replied. "It's strange, though, that it seemed to be centered exactly behind those hills. Like something is attracting it to there."

"And there's no way to go around that place, instead of through it?" Yuda asked.

Shin shook his head. "It spreads for miles. Since it's too dangerous to fly, it would take us weeks to get to the other side. And all we have left is a little more than two weeks."

Rei's breath caught for a moment. "That short of a time?" he mumbled.

"Don't worry." Gently, Ruka caressed the smaller angel's hair. "We'll be fine." That didn't help too much, considering how worried he looked himself.

After that short conversation, they walked in silence for nearly an hour, until they finally reached the hills. With some turnings, they walked between them, careful not to climb any higher than absolutely necessary. The sound of thunder was so loud now, Rei had to force himself not to grab Ruka's hand like a scared child. Every few moments, there was a bright flash of lightning, strong enough to blind a human. For angels, it only irritated their eyes a bit. Still, it was the inescapable noise of thunder that really scared Rei, making him gasp startled with every 'bang'.

"At least it's not raining," Gai commented dryly.

"Actually, thunderstorms are more dangerous when it's dry," Shin replied. "Either way, let's hurry!"

Though no one had even said they should, they all started running. At the moment they entered the valley behind the hills, though, it seemed like all lightning-bolts seem to truly aim at them. Rei knew, thought he knew, that it should be impossible for nature to actually aim on anyone, but it was nearly impossible not to get hit. Still, they were halfway through when he suddenly heard a scream behind him. Looking behind, he saw Gai collapsing to the ground.

"Gai!" Goh screamed, kneeling next to his friend and pulled him into his arms "Yuda, he was hit!" Without any waste of time, Yuda also kneeled next to the small blonde and started healing him.

At the same time, three more lightning-bolts came directly towards him. "Shoot back!" Ruka yelled, aiming and energy-orb at one of the lightning-bolts. Without considering whether it would work or not, Shin and Rei did the same. Unbelievably, it worked. A few times more, they managed to save themselves and their friends.

"He's almost healed, hold on a bit longer!" Goh reported.

At the exact moment the blonde angel opened his eyes, multiple lightning-bolts aimed for them. Ruka, Shin and Rei did all they could, defending themselves against most of them. Only one, they missed. Rei saw Shin's eyes growing big from fear when he realized it was too late to dodge. Automatically, he jumped, using his wings to practically launch himself at the blue-haired angel. The lightning went right past them, Rei felt the electric energy.

Then, they hit something soft and they fell to the ground, landing on the same soft thing. What had they landed on? Were they dead? For a moment, Rei was too shaken to open his eyes, feeling Shin lying against him unmoving. Then, he heard a faint voice chuckle; "Ruka, you're quite a player." Gai's voice.

"What…" Shocked, Rei opened his eyes, realizing both Shin and himself had landed on the silver-haired angel. "Oops."

"Sorry!" Shin quickly apologized, sitting up even quicker. His cheeks went just as red as Rei's. Even more, actually.

"At least the lightning missed you," Ruka smiled, "Either way, we shouldn't stay here for too long." Some new lightning-bolts came at them, this time it were Goh and Yuda who shot back at those.

"Gai, can you run?" Goh asked the blonde angel. Gai nodded, and they started running again. The thunder still didn't stop, forcing them to get running again without any more of a break. The further they got, however, the less it seemed to aim for them, until it almost felt like just a regular storm. Rei felt his legs getting tired, however, making it harder and harder to keep up his speed. Gai seemed to have the same problem, Shin seemed more out of breath rather than tired.

"I think we're safe as soon as we're past those hills!" Yuda reported, looking back at them for a moment. "Just hold on a bit longer!"

They tried, until suddenly Gai tripped. Shin stopped running to help him up, as did Rei. But that was the trouble with running. It was possible to keep going. When you stopped, though, it was nearly impossible to get back running again. Gai dragged Shin and Rei forward a bit, and they managed to run on for some feet, forcing each other to keep going. "Wait for us!" Rei yelled at Ruka, Yuda and Goh.

Ruka looked back, and then suddenly turned around being followed by the other two. Before Rei had even figured out what they're going to do, Ruka had lifted him into his arms and they were almost at the hills. Like there was some sort of wall in the sky, the storm didn't reach to the other side of the hills. The sky was actually blue. As Ruka allowed him to get back onto his own feet, Goh and Yuda also put Gai and Shin back onto their feet.

"Geez, I never wanna do that again," Gai sighed.

"Then how were you planning on going back home?" Goh asked dryly, earning a smirk from the small blonde.

"C-can we take a break for a few minutes?" Shin asked, trying to catch his breath.

"Sure," Yuda replied, giving the blue-haired angel a worried glance. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, just a bit out of breath," Shin replied, trying to smile reassuringly.

"I think it should be safe enough here to rest for some moments. It's been time for lunch anyway," Ruka said.

No one disagreed on that, so some minutes later they were sitting in a small circle on the grass, eating fish. After that run, Rei felt more hungry than usual, even though the fish was cooked on a small campfire and without any spices or vegetables. Still, he had to admit he missed cooking. Besides flying, being at work in the kitchen was his biggest hobby. As soon as they'd gotten home and everything would be all right again, he'd definitely cook a huge meal for them all.

"The rest of these grasslands are supposed to be safe, without anything dangerous living there," Shin remarked.

"Too bad we're still too close to the storm to fly," Rei sighed. "I mean, we don't have a lot of time left, we're not even at the mountain with the gemstone yet, and then there's also the way back. Flying would be way faster than walking."

"Yes, but the risk is too big. Besides, the way back will be shorter than the way to that mountain. We won't have to go back in that haunted house, there won't be as many demons in that piece of Hell and we know the way now since we've been there before," Ruka tried to comfort him.

"And we're still ahead of schedule," Goh added to that. "If we go on at this pace, we'll make it in time, without doubt."

Rei felt a bit more reassured. "I just hope we won't run into too much danger anymore."

"We're almost there, so we're past most trouble," Shin replied, probably knowing half the books they used for their research by memory. "The next place we're going to have to travel through are some caves that even go underwater, and after that we'll reach the mountain. Though, as far as the books said, the weather and landslides there make that a rather dangerous place, maybe even more than any other place we've traveled through.

"That's nice to look forward to," Gai groaned. "Even more bad weather…"

"At lease it's not supposed to have thunderstorms. Just really hard wind and heavy rain," Shin explained. "It's not really the weather itself that is so dangerous, it rather is the mountain itself. Due to the weather, there are a lot of landslides, falling rocks, and deep cracks in the ground."

"But we can avoid that by flying, right?" Ruka asked.

"Not really," Shin replied softly. "That would have the same effect as when Rei flew down into that ravine to safe me, when we walked over Snowstorm mountain at the beginning of this quest. We'd be like a kite in a tornado, unable to choose our own directions."

Gai sighed theatrically. "Any more good news?"

"Like said earlier, quests aren't supposed to be easy," Goh replied. "If we can do this, at least we've proven to Zeus we can do practically anything when we're together."

That was the truth, now they'd only have to make sure to get the gemstone without losing their life, and then survive the way back in one piece. The way back, that was something Rei really didn't want to think about yet. The only thing they should concentrate on right now, was to obtain that gemstone they'd have to bring to Zeus. After they'd get that, they could start worrying about the way back.

"Shall we travel on?" Goh asked some minutes later. They all had eaten their fish, so Ruka and Yuda made sure the campfire was completely extinguished before they would leave. Rei watched quietly, still a bit worried about what might come. But somehow, he started to feel a bit like they were camping, cooking fish outside and eating on a grassland. That was an illusion he didn't mind at all, and he'd be glad to keep it for as long as he could.

When they walked on, Ruka suddenly took hold of his hand. "If you don't mind, it feels kind of nice to hold hands with you," the silver-haired angel mumbled, a bit shyly.

Rei smiled happily. "Why would I ever mind?" He then softly kissed his beloved on his cheek. For as long as they wouldn't reach the underwater caves, they'd be walking on these grasslands. Now that those were relatively safe, having passed the thunderstorm, he might as well enjoy this walk with Ruka. "When everything will be back to normal, shall we have walks more often? Just the two of us?" he asked softly, averting his gaze towards the ground, not to have to look at his beloved's reaction. He did hear Ruka chuckle.

"I thought you'd rather fly?"

"I do." He swallowed nervously. "But… I also like spending time with you, and taking a long walk in a deep forest would give us some privacy." Not a part of him even dared to think what he'd want to do exactly with that privacy, but luckily Ruka didn't ask.

"I'll do anything if it pleases you," Ruka replied softly.

A bit annoyed, Rei looked at him. "You shouldn't do it because I ask you to. I only want you to walk with me if you truly like doing that. It'll be meaningless if you're doing it reluctantly."

"Sorry," Ruka whispered with a smile. "I just meant to say that I'd love anything, as long as I'm doing it with you. Because you make every moment a special one."

At those words, the purple-haired angel felt his cheeks heating up. "Ah… t-thanks, I guess. You make my life a happy one too." Especially when Ruka made him feel like this. Like he really was important and irreplaceable to his beloved. There had been time's he had truly doubted that, when Ruka and Yuda had been in Hell, and then had turned evil for some time. Of course he knew now that it had only been his own depressed mind that had made him believe that. But at that time he had felt horrible. Strange to think that wasn't even so long ago yet. Either way, it still made him feel really good to hear his silver-haired angel say that. And he himself hadn't lied either. The person that made him treasure his life, was Ruka.

For some hours, they kept walking, chatting about random things. It almost felt like things were normal for some time, even happy. In the backs of their minds, the realization kept that the most dangerous part of their quest would come soon, only one challenge away. The chances of losing their lives were too big to even think about without panicking. It almost made Rei glad that they'd have to go through the underwater caves first. Those weren't exactly safe either, but at least less dangerous than the mountain where they'd have to obtain the gemstone.

"There's water over there!" Gai suddenly pointed out.

"Seems like we're almost there," Goh responded. "But it's already getting late, wouldn't it be a good idea to stay on these grasslands for tonight?"

"Indeed," Shin agreed. "There are multiple caves there, and there are many trap holes. Those would be impossible to spot in the darkness of the night."

"Then shall we rest at the edge off the grassland?" Yuda suggested. "We might be able to catch some more fish, so we'll have some more food while we're in the caves."

No one disagreed on that, so some minutes later they sat down in the soft grass, and ate dinner. This time, Rei found some eatable herbs in the grass, so he could finally at least do a little good cooking. It didn't go unnoticed, they all ate twice as much as they had that morning. "Rei, you're an awesome cook," Gai told the purple-haired angel enthusiastic.

Rei felt himself blushing a bit, but felt glad his friends liked it. "T-thanks," he mumbled.

After dinner, Yuda, Ruka and Goh went fishing. After some minutes, Gai went after them to have another try at catching a fish too, while Rei and Shin stayed at their spot to guard the few fishes that they had still left and the herbs Rei had collected.

"Rei?" Shin suddenly asked softly.

"Yes?" A bit worriedly, Rei looked at his friend. The blue haired angel looked back at him, though his eyes seemed vacant.

"Not to worry you… but I've got a bad feeling about the mountain," Shin admitted. "Like the feeling I had before we had to fight Yuda and Ruka, but even worse."

"It might just be your worries," Rei suggested.

Shin shook his head. "It's not that. I control time, but it sometimes gives me a sort of sixth sense. I don't know why, but I just really need to talk about it to someone."

"We're all scared about what might happen, but we don't have a choice," Rei replied, placing a hand on Shin's shoulder to comfort him. "I have the same feeling, that we'll face something terrible, but worrying about it will only make us more vulnerable. And I have the feeling that the other don't want to think about it at all."

"That's why I didn't tell Yuda about this feeling. And also because you're my best friend." Shin sighed. "I'd wish this was all over already, that we'd all be back home and safe. And only the possible dangers on our missions to worry about."

"That's why we can't lose even the tiniest bit of faith," Rei responded immediately. "If we succeed and also make it back home safe and sound, things will finally be back to normal again."

"After all that happened, I don't know if it ever can be completely normal again," Shin mumbled. "Yuda still seems to feel so guilty about what he had done."

"Ruka too," Rei admitted. "But think about it this way; didn't our relationships as well as friendships get way stronger because of all that? Before, Ruka and I hadn't even kissed yet and neither had you and Yuda. And while the two of us were so hurt because we thought we'd never get them back, Gai and Goh were there to help is. That has also made our friendships deepen." A short silence, in which Shin seemed to think about what Rei had said. "Altogether, I think we've come to value our beloved ones more than we ever could have if life would have been easy. Because we know how it feels to lose them, even though we got them back eventually."

"You're right," Shin agreed, and then smiled softly. "Even though I always overthink everything, I never thought about that."

"Maybe that is because I never think enough, and just say whatever I feel at the moment," Rei admitted, smiling back.

"Having a private conversation?" Gai's voice startled them both.

"We were just finished," Shin relied friendly.

"Done catching fish?" Rei asked, noticing that Ruka and Yuda were still fishing.

Gai grinned. "Well, I guess I know now why most domestic cats prefer mice. Fishes are way to mean. So I thought it would be more fun to sit here with you guys."

Rei had the feeling that the small blonde angel had been waiting until he and Shin had finished their conversation, which he was thankful for. "At least you can't catch birds either," he remarked dryly.

"Because their also mean when I try to catch them. Especially chickens," Gai responded, grin widening.

"That's a good thing! You shouldn't even try to catch them!" Rei replied, only to have Gai laugh at them. Well, at least the cat-like angel had managed to lighten up the mood yet again. Ruka and Yuda were also coming back now, both carrying at least eight or ten fishes. After they had pickled them and then put them in their own-made bags, they sat down with their friends. Like it was an automatic thing to do, Ruka laid his arm around Rei's shoulders, while Yuda did the same with Shin. Of course, Gai chuckled because of that, but a short glance from Goh made him refrain from making at comments about it.

No one really felt the need to talk, so they all sat there staring at the darkening sky for some time. Even though the thunderstorm still was pretty close-by, a few miles away probably, the sky was clear, and the moon was already becoming visible, as well as a few stars. By the time they were through the caves, and had reached the mountain, it would likely be full moon. Though, according to the rumors about the weather there, there'd be small chances of the sky being clear enough to see the moon there.

Later that night, while Ruka was sitting guard, Rei was still looking at the sky, his head pillowed on the silver-haired angel's lap. Were those black things bats? He hadn't though anything lived here, let alone creatures that slept in a cave all day, since there was only grass here. Though they were only a small distance away from the caves that went underwater, so the bats probably lived there. Though they were nothing like birds, they did fly and Rei had always liked most bat-species.

"You should be sleeping," Ruka remarked softly, stroking Rei's long hair.

"I know," the purple-haired angel sighed. "But the sky looks so pretty."

"Even with all those bats?"

"There aren't that many. And most species are cute," Rei replied, smiling sleepily.

Ruka chuckled. "You really are surprising, sometimes."

"Well, we have to keep some mystery in our relationship, right?" Rei chuckled, before letting out a stifled yawn.

"Rei, go to sleep. I can see you're tired. Besides, when we've made it back safe we'll have as many nights as you want, looking at the sky."

"Hmm. But then I want you to lie next to me so I can hold you too." His voice was now reduced to a sleepy whisper.

"Sounds good," Ruka replied with a smile. Rei's eyes slid shut. "Goodnight, my angel."

"Good…night," Rei whispered, and then drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**This was a long one, and I hope it was worth reading ;) I think the part in which they were actually running through the storm was a bit short, but it seemed a bit hard to make it much longer without making them stay there longer than absolutely necessary. And no one would want to stay long in a place where lightning is aiming directly at you…**

**Anyway, the next chapter will be done in about a week^^**


	36. Part IV: 13

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

**Don't know what happened, but I suddenly couldn't stop writing anymore… So here's this chapter, a **_**little **_**ahead of schedule XD**

* * *

Feeling something moving against his body, Rei woke up. "Mmh…" With a long yawn he opened his eyes and saw Ruka looking at him sleepily. "Good morning," the purple-haired angel mumbled.

"Good morning," Ruka replied softly. "Sorry if I woke you."

Rei smiled. "Doesn't matter. What woke you up?"

"Nothing specifically," Ruka sighed. The sun was starting to rise, so that might have been what had woke him. Still, it was rather early in the morning, and the others were still fast asleep. Suddenly, Ruka chuckled. "Look at Yuda and Shin."

Rei looked behind at couldn't help but to giggle. Shin was laying on his side, holding onto Yuda's arm, while the red-haired angel laid half on top of him, his arms wrapped around Shin's slender frame. Well, it wasn't much different, Rei realized, from how he and Ruka slept sometimes. "Shall we try to sleep a bit longer too?"

"You can, if you want to. But now I'm awake, I don't think I can fall back asleep again," Ruka replied, whispering not to wake their friends.

"Nah, I'd rather stay awake to." Slowly, Rei sat up. "Shall we go to the water?"

"We already have enough fish," Ruka responded.

Rei chuckled and dragged his beloved to his feet. "I didn't say we should go fishing. But we can talk there without waking up the rest." Ruka walked with him to the edge of the lake. The cave started a few feet away from the shoreline, only some inches above water level. Close to the shore, the water was extremely clear, but where it started to debt deeper, it had a deep shade of opaque blue. That made it impossible to see how the main cave split into multiple smaller caves, but it made the lake look beautiful.

"It seems so hard to believe we're almost at the mountain," Ruka sighed. "It seems so peaceful here."

"Yeah," Rei agreed. Above water level it did. Inside the caves, however, it might be a lot less pleasant. The books hadn't told much about it, besides that they were wet, slippery and cold. Sounded nice enough. But still, compared to what they had been traveling through so far, it wasn't that bad.

"I'd wish we could just fly over it. That would be a lot faster and easier."

"Indeed, but we're still way too close to the thunder. Besides, as far as the books went about the lake itself, there should be some kind of magnetic field over it, making it impossible to use angelic energy."

"I wonder if the same goes for inside of those caves. That could be a problem, since we don't have flashlights. And if it's really that wet, fire won't work as a source of light either."

"Maybe the water will be like a barrier between us and the magnetic field," Rei suggested. "Or else we'll just have to follow the walls. There are multiple caves, but they only split at one point, and they're supposed to come back together at the other side of the lake. So it should be impossible to get lost."

"Still, I'd rather be able to see when I'm in unfamiliar territory," Ruka replied.

"We've already come so far, a bit of darkness won't stop us," Rei comforted him, leaning his head against the silver-haired angel's shoulder. Almost immediately, he felt Ruka resting his cheek against his head, and he sighed happily. No matter where they were, Ruka always managed to make him feel safe and at home. Did his beloved feel the same about him? Ruka always seemed so strong, even though Rei had seen him at his weakest moments. But sometimes he still felt insecure about how much he could help his beloved. No, he knew he could make Ruka happy. The thing he worried about most of the time, was if he was doing it right.

"Rei? Are you okay? You're so quiet, suddenly," Ruka asked softly.

"I…" The smaller angel felt his cheeks heating up a bit, as usual when he felt a little awkward. "I was only wondering… do you ever want me to act differently? I mean, Shin always tells me I'm good at speaking my emotions, and I know you said multiple times that I make you feel good. But am I really doing the best I can?"

To his surprise, Ruka chuckled softly. "If you were any different from how you are right now, I don't think you'd be half as amazing, Rei. Don't be so unsure, I wouldn't love you if you would not be the person you are. But why do you ask?"

Rei sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, treasuring Ruka's warmth against his own body. "It's just something I worry about, sometimes."

"Don't," Ruka whispered in his ear, before gently kissing his hair. "To me, you're perfect as you are. Never doubt that."

"Mmh…" Slowly, Rei moved his head a bit and kissed Ruka's throat. A soft gasp escaped the silver-haired angel, making Rei smile. "You should never change either."

Ruka just smiled, his cheeks a subtle shade of pink. As always, Rei was the only person in any world ho could literary leave him speechless. So shy, but at unforeseen moments so passionate, that he made Ruka feel almost helpless. But in a really good way. When he had regained enough self-control to look at his beautiful angel without kissing him senseless, he saw Rei looking back at him, those big golden eyes a bit unsure but shining with love and happiness. And it somehow scared him to see so many emotions directed towards him, because he knew just as well as Rei did that they still weren't safe. It still wasn't for sure they'd be able to be together forever, not until this quest would be finished.

"Rei… what you said about worrying sometimes…" He wasn't sure how to go on, but Rei kept looking at him expectantly, so he decided to just say exactly what was on his mind. "If anything might happen before the end of this journey, please never stop being happy."

Some shock showed in Rei's eyes. "You mean if you…" His voice broke audibly. "Ruka, don't even say such things!"

"Rei, please…"

"Would you just forget about me if something would happen to me. If… If I'd…"

"Never! I wouldn't know how to go on!" He'd probably want to end his own life, if that were the only way to be together with Rei.

"Then don't ask of me to go on being happy, if something were to happen to you." Rei's voice trembled slightly, causing Ruka to feel a bit guilty about ruining the mood by bringing up such a depressing subject. He truly hadn't meant to make Rei feel sad, but he just hadn't been able to keep it inside. Well, maybe there was one thing he could do to make Rei feel better. Tenderly, he placed his hand against Rei's cheek, lifting up the smaller angels face a bit, and then slowly, deeply, kissed his lips.

He felt Rei pressing his body against his own, so close they could feel each other's heartbeat. Almost immediately, the purple-haired angel relaxed, leaning into the kiss as much as he could, and let his eyes slid shut. Feeling his beloved surrendering completely to his touch, made it harder than ever for Ruka to finally pull back in need of breath. As soon as their lips stopped touching, Rei wrapped his arms around Ruka's waist and rested his head on his beloved's shoulder again.

"You can do that more often… if you'd like," he whispered.

"I will, I can promise you that," Ruka sighed, pulling Rei onto his lap and burying his face in the other angel's long hair. "We should wake up early more often."

Rei giggled almost inaudibly. "Indeed."

For some minutes, they sat there, until the sun was almost completely risen. "Shall we cook some fish, before the rest wakes up? That spares some time," Ruka suggested. Rei nodded and got of Ruka's lap. Together they walked back to where their friends were still sleeping.

Nearly an hour later, they all stood in front of the water. "Should we swim to the cave's entrance?" Gai asked, not sounding too enthusiastic about that idea.

"It's only a few feet, and we'll get wet anyway so that doesn't really matter," Goh replied.

"Let's go then," Yuda decided, stepping into the water. Shin followed first, then Ruka Rei and Goh. Gai was the last to follow, mumbling something about cats not being supposed to swim. The water was a bit cold, but not as much that it was uncomfortable. Carefully, they climbed into the cave's entrance.

"It's pitch dark down there," Gai remarked.

"The bottom is quite smooth, though. Like a slide. Maybe we can use it as such," Shin suggested.

"We don't have much of a choice, so let's go." Goh went first, and this time Gai was the first to follow. Rei took a deep breath and also jumped in, together with Ruka.

The first part of the cave wasn't that steep, but after some feet it went almost vertically down. Rei couldn't help but too scream when the cave started changing directions. It came to his mind briefly that this must be the part where the cave split into different directions. They should have hold hands or something, what if they'd end up in different caves? They'd end up at the same spot eventually, but still. Suddenly, the cave took a sharp turn to the right, and he lost his balance, ending up sliding down on his side. Another sharp turn. He felt his head hitting a rock and his mind slipped into the darkness for some time.

"Rei!" Someone was shaking at his shoulders. "Oi! Rei wake up!" Slowly, consciousness returned to him. That, and a terrible headache. But who was shaking him? It wasn't Ruka, he would have recognized his beloved.

"Who…" he mumbled, still too dizzy to end that question.

"It's me," the person said, still holding on to his shoulders.

This time Rei recognized the voice. "Goh?'' Slowly, he opened his eyes, but the cave was too dark to see anything. "W-where are the others?"

"I suppose they ended up in different passages," Goh replied. "Rei, are you okay? Did you hit your head?"

"Yeah… against a rock, I think," Rei admitted, touching the sore spot with his fingertips. There was something wet there, but it could be just water. "It only hurts a bit, but other than that I'm fine. Aren't you hurt?"

"No," Goh answered. "Can you stand up? We shouldn't stay in one spot for too long."

Rei swallowed before slowly trying to get onto his feet. Even though it was too dark to see, it didn't stop him from getting dizzy at the movement. "Ouch," he groaned, nearly losing his balance. Luckily, Goh was still holding his shoulders loosely, so he didn't fall back down.

"You probably have a concussion. Come here." Gently, Goh placed his arm around Rei's waist, helping him steady himself.

"Thanks," Rei mumbled. "Eh… I'm getting a bit nauseas."

"Try to keep it in, okay?" Carefully, Goh started walking, making Rei walk along. "If you really can't keep it in any longer, say so."

Rei nodded, only to realize that was quite useless in the darkness. "Okay," he mumbled. Where would Ruka be? Was he all right? He probably was, Rei just had to believe that. If he didn't, he might panic, and that wouldn't do his headache much good. A part of him felt slightly sorry about the fact that he hadn't ended up in the same passage as Yuda. The red-haired angel could have healed his concussion in only a moment.

"Rei, you still okay?" Goh asked, after a few moments of silence.

"I'm fine," Rei replied softly. "I just hope our friends are okay."

"They probably are," Goh tried to comfort him. "And even if they're hurt, it can't be worse than your concussion."

"Hopefully," Rei sighed.

At the same moment, in the passage next to the one Rei and Goh were in, Yuda and Gai were worrying about the same thing. Well, honestly Yuda was mostly worried about Shin. The blue-haired angel had never spoken about it, but Yuda knew he didn't like dark caves that much. Who did, really? Only bats.

"How far is it?" Gai nagged.

"How am I supposed to know?" Yuda replied, a bit irritated. That same question had been asked by the blonde angel about five times already.

"Geez, no need to snap," Gai grumbled. "I was just trying to get a bit of a conversation."

Yuda sighed. "Sorry. But please stop asking the question over and over."

"Okay, okay. So… how are things with you and Shin?"

"Wha…" Where had that question come from? "Eh… well… Good, I guess."

"So are the two of you as far as Ruka and Rei already?"

The cat-like angel was way more perceptive than he was given credit for, Yuda realized. "Well… no," he admitted reluctantly. "I guess we're still a bit too shy towards one another." Meaning he was always scared of embarrassing Shin, while the blue-haired angel seemed to have exactly the same problem.

"It probably just takes time," Gai said. "I mean, Ruka and Rei kissed earlier than you two, so I guess you're both in the same pace."

That didn't sound that illogical, Yuda had to admit. "I guess you're right."

"Duh," Gai giggled.

"Shin, are you still okay?" Ruka asked, in the next passage. The blue-haired angel had been awfully quiet since they had realized they had been separated from the rest.

"I'm fine," Shin replied softly.

"Then please, don't be so quiet," Ruka asked. "Then at least I know you're still walking next to me."

Another silence, and Ruka was starting to feel a bit awkward. Was it so terrible to end up alone with him? Besides, if Shin didn't talk, then there was nothing to distract him from worrying about Rei. The last thing he had heard of his beloved, was a scream. A scream that had stopped rather abruptly.

"Ruka?" Shin asked suddenly, his voice sounding a bit unsure.

"Yes?"

"Well… I was wondering… Do you mind it that Rei talks to me about the relationship between the two of you?" Shin sounded almost scared of asking that.

"Not really. Maybe a bit awkward, sometimes. But that's only when I have no idea what he's telling you, and I worry it's something bad," Ruka admitted, knowing the blue-haired angel would never laugh at him. Or at anyone, for that matter.

"And…" Another short silence. "Do you think Yuda minds?"

"No," Ruka replied instantly. "He seems rather shy about the subject, but I believe he knows you'd never say anything about him that he doesn't want to be told to anyone."

He heard Shin sigh. "Thanks. You're his best friend, so I thought it would be best to ask you about it."

"It might be better even, to just ask him," Ruka suggested, knowing how bad it felt when knowing you're beloved one was too afraid or too embarrassed to discuss something with you.

"I know," Shin admitted. "I just haven't found the courage yet."

"Maybe you should try asking those kind of questions before we reach that mountain," Ruka said softly. "You know, just in case."

"You're right," Shin sighed. "But that's not really something I want to think about."

"Me neither, but I can't seem to get it out of my mind," Ruka admitted.

"I know what you mean, but worrying won't help us a bit," Shin replied.

At the same time, worrying was exactly what Goh was doing. Rei was getting dragged along, more than actually walking, and he hadn't spoken a word for the past hour. "Rei? Are you still awake?"

"Mmh… barely," the purple-haired angel mumbled, his voice weaker than it had been earlier. "So tired."

"It's probably the concussion that's causing that," Goh replied worriedly. "You shouldn't fall asleep, that can be dangerous."

A shaky sigh. "I know. I'm trying, but… I can barely keep my eyes open."

"At least try, okay?" Not only did he feel sorry for his friend, but he also didn't look forward to telling Ruka that Rei had gotten injured again. Let alone having to meet the silver-haired angel while carrying an unconscious Rei. A concussion could be rather bad, and Ruka worried about Rei enough already. Even though he wasn't extremely close with Ruka, he knew for sure that the silver-haired angel would somehow managed to blame himself for anything bad that happened to Rei.

Well, part of him felt the same about Gai, so he could relate to that feeling. Even though the relationship between him and Gai wasn't the same as between Ruka and Rei or Yuda and Shin, he would do anything for the small blonde. Not that he'd ever tell Gai that, the small angel would probably make it a joke.

"Goh?" Rei mumbled suddenly. "C-can we stop for a moment, please?"

Immediately, Goh understood why, and carefully lowered Rei onto the ground. Almost instantly, he heard the purple-haired angel throw up. When the sound finally stopped, all he could do was placing his arm around his friend's trembling shoulders. "Rei?"

"I-I'm fine now. Sorry." He sounded so embarrassed, it almost hurt to hear.

"It's not your fault," Goh tried to comfort him. For a moment, he thought about carrying the frail angel through the rest of the cave, but the chance would be too big that Rei would fall asleep and lose consciousness again if he didn't have to walk any longer. That was a risk he couldn't take, having no idea how long it would be until they would meet their friends again, and Yuda could heal the purple-haired angel. It might only be an hour, but it could just as well take the rest of the day. Either way, he had to keep Rei awake, no matter what.

"Can you stand up already? We can sit here for a little while, if you need to," he asked softly, not wanting the other angel to feel like a burden in any way.

"N-no, I can walk on. Besides, I'll fall asleep if I sit down now," Rei mumbled, already trying to get up. Quickly, Goh stood up faster to help his friend. "But… can we walk slow?"

"Of course." Gently, Goh helped him walking further. Having thrown up seemed to have made Rei feel better, since he actually walked now, instead of being nearly carried. He was still trembling, though. "If you need a break, you have to say so. Don't force yourself."

Rei only sighed at that. "I guess I'm going to worry Ruka again," he then said softly, guilt sounding clearly in his voice.

"It was too dark in there to have any chance of dodging that rock," Goh tried to make him feel better. "And wouldn't it be a bad sign if Ruka wouldn't worry about you at all?"

"You're right," Rei admitted. "But… I just don't want him to feel bad. And I know he will, if he sees that I'm hurt again."

"There's nothing you can do about it, so why don't you stop feeling about it yourself? It'll only make your headache worse if you keep worrying."

Rei sighed again. "I know." He tripped, and Goh quickly steadied him. Rei practically collapsed against him, going limp in the taller angel's arms. "S-sorry… I-I'm so… d-dizzy…" His breath went quick and rather irregular, making Goh realize how hard the other angel was fighting not to pass out.

"Rei!" He nearly yelled it. "Stay awake! Please, Rei!"

With all strength he still had in him, Rei kept his eyes open and tried to breath more deeply and regular. But he already felt his mind slipping, stars swirling before his eyes. "Mmh… S-sorry…" he managed to whisper, before everything went even blacker than it already was.

"Damn!" 'Please, let him keep breathing!' he begged in his mind. Rei was so limp and weak in his arms, it truly scared him. "Rei, wake up!" No response at all.

It was of no use to keep yelling like this, he had to actually do something. Deciding immediately, he lifted his friend into his arms and started running. They had been closer to the exit than expected, after only half an hour of running, he already saw light at the end of the tunnel. Literary. And in it, were the silhouettes of his friends.

When he and Shin had reached the exit to find only Yuda and Gai already there, Ruka had already gotten more and more worried. When minutes had past and there was still no sign of Rei and Goh, he was really getting scared. Now that he saw Goh running out of the cave with Rei hanging limply in his arms, Ruka's heart nearly stopped beating for a moment.

Before anyone could ask anything, Goh sat Rei down on the ground, holding his upper body. "Yuda, please heal him! He's got a concussion, but I don't know how bad it is."

There were traces of blood on the side of Rei's head. In a moment, Yuda had kneeled next to Rei and healed him, though the angel still didn't wake up. Slowly getting past the initial shock, Ruka also sat down at Rei's side, staring at his beloved's face. That was paler than usual, but color was already returning to it. After a moment, his eyelashes fluttered a bit and he sighed faintly.

"Ruka?" Carefully, Goh handed Rei over to Ruka.

The purple-haired angel moaned softly, before blinking slowly. After some moments, he finally opened his eyes and looked at Ruka. "Nice to see you," he whispered faintly.

Ruka couldn't help but to smile at that. "Nice to see you too, my angel."

With a soft sigh, Rei tried to sit up, still a bit unsteady. "Sorry to have worried you."

"It doesn't matter, I'm glad you're okay now," Ruka replied, pulling Rei back against his chest. "I should have held you or something when we went down that slide. I should have protected you."

"Ruka, don't. I'm fine now, and you can't always prevent me from getting hurt anyway." A short silence. "How long have I been out?"

"Half an hour," Goh replied.

"Ah. Thanks for carrying me," Rei mumbled, a bit shyly.

"You're welcome."

"It's only afternoon, but the mountain is only an hour away from here," Shins said. "It might be a good idea to stay here until tomorrow-morning."

"Indeed. We should all be at full strength before going there," Yuda agreed.

"I'll take over Rei's shift as guard," Ruka offered.

"But I'm fine now!" Rei argued. "I'm not letting you miss any sleep because you're overprotective of me."

"But…"

"No." Rei looked at him, the look in those big, golden eyes hinting Ruka that there wasn't anything he could say or do that would have even a chance to change Rei's mind on this subject. Well, he had to admit Rei was right, in a way. But when he looked at that beautiful, sweet face and those big, loving eyes, he couldn't do anything but wanting to protect him. Even though he knew Rei didn't want to be protected all the time, and he was usually more than capable of protecting himself.

"Okay. But at least take a nap now. No matter what you say, I can see you're exhausted."

Reluctantly, Rei gave in. "Okay." With a sigh, he let himself drop against Ruka. "But only if I can use your lap as a pillow."

"Deal," Ruka agreed with a chuckle. Slowly, Rei laid down onto his back, his head and shoulders resting on Ruka's legs, and closed his eyes. Almost immediately, his breathing went even, and his body went limp, letting Ruka know he had drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Long one… and I hope it was fun to read. Next chapter might be even longer, and will be… Well, you'll just have to wait to read ;) One hint: they're going to need Shins power to turn back time, or I won't be able to keep the promise I made at the beginning of this fic (about 30 chapters ago…) **

**This one was probably done so soon because I can't wait to start on the next chapter XD**

**Will update soon^^**


	37. Part IV: 14

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

**Okay, this chapter might need a warning. So here goes: there will be some descriptions of injuries. I'll try not to make it detailed, but it happens and therefore needs to be told. Lots of bishie abuse ahead, both physical and emotional. I would feel bad about making them go through all this, but I'm too much of a sadist to feel bad about it ;)**

**Either way, you're warned… but if I haven't scared you away yet, please enjoy reading^^**

**Edit: Thanks to Sky'sShadow for pointing out some mistakes... well... a lot of mistakes. They're corrected now^^**

* * *

When Rei woke, he felt two strong arms wrapped around his slender frame. Ruka, he knew. Who else could ever make him feel so safe? With a deep sigh, he opened his eyes to see the clear night sky above him, with an almost full moon and a few small stars. It looked pretty, but to judge at the color of the sky, it was still the beginning of the night. Which meant he'd have to manage to fall asleep again, or he'd be tired tomorrow. Of all possible days to be tired, tomorrow would definitely be one of the least convenient ones.

"Rei, you're awake?" he heard someone whisper.

A bit startled, he looked at the direction of the sound and saw Shin. "Yes."

"Since you were still sleeping, we thought it would be best if you'd take the last shift to be guard," Shin told him. "I hope that's okay with you."

"Sure," Rei replied with a soft smile. "I just hope I can fall back asleep, now that I'm awake."

"Change your position, close your eyes and try to think about nothing," Shin suggested. "That usually works for me."

"Good idea." Carefully, not to wake up Ruka, Rei turned unto his side. With his face against Ruka's collarbone, he closed his eyes. Now he only had to manage not to think about anything, which prove to be quite hard. Somehow, he kept thinking about all things that had happed so far, and then his thought shifted towards the future, which only scared him because of how unsure it was. With a soft groan he opened his eyes again. "I can't think about nothing."

He heard Shin chuckle. "Then try to concentrate on something else. Ruka's breathing, for example."

That might work. After a long yawn, Rei snuggled against his beloved again and listened to the taller angel's soft, steady breath. It did work calming, and it took his mind off other things, such as tomorrow. After some minutes, he was actually starting to feel a little sleepy again. About ten minutes later, he drifted off again.

He dreamt about Ruka, not surprisingly. His beloved was flying, and he tried to follow, but Ruka was too quick. Then suddenly, he disappeared and Rei was lost for a moment. Before he even had gotten the chance to get scared, he suddenly felt two arms being wrapped around his chest from behind, and knew it was Ruka. His angel smiled at him, and then the dream ended and he just slept dreamlessly, his mind finding enough ease in having Ruka so close to him physically.

A soft kiss onto his lips woke him up again, and he opened his eyes to see Ruka leaning over him. "It's your turn to be guard," he whispered, not to wake the rest. "Shall I stay awake with you?"

Rei wanted to say that Ruka needed his rest, but looking at his beloved, a strangely suffocated feeling came up in his chest. Like a bad presentiment. He hoped it was nothing, but it didn't do much good for his mood. "If you don't mind… I'd really like you to," he admitted softly, while sitting up.

The silver-haired angel gave him a slightly worried glance. "Rei? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine. Just…" No, he couldn't tell him. This feeling he had, it would only scare Ruka, which would make him more vulnerable. And besides, it probably was just his own nervousness, nothing more.

"Just what?" Ruka asked, reminding Rei he still had to finish that line.

Instead of finishing it, he suddenly threw his arms around Ruka's shoulders and hugged him tightly. "Please… be careful," he whispered in his beloved's ear. Then, a thought came up in his mind. It would sound a bit unlike him, but it was the best way he could think of to ease the tension a bit. "I really want you to be able to keep a certain promise." He felt his cheeks heating up. "If you know what I mean."

"How can I forget?" Ruka smiled. "But I want to succeed on this quest to spend my entire life with you. Not for just one night of fun."

Indicating he wanted more than one. But it was nice to hear, and it made Rei smile a little too. "Same here." But he still didn't feel like letting go of his beloved. Besides, Ruka had wrapped his arms tightly around Rei's waist, making it impossible for him to move. Silently, he closed his eyes again, nearly falling back to sleep. "Hm… you'd be a nice bed."

He heard Ruka chuckle. "Thanks… I guess."

"It was meant as a compliment," Rei giggled. "No one makes me feel more safe than you, my angel."

His beloved didn't reply, but he did tighten his embrace. For the rest of the night, they just sat there in silence, Ruka holding Rei warmly, and Rei enjoying Ruka's warmth. When morning finally came, no one appeared to be in the mood to talk much, or at all really. In a rather uncomfortable silence, they ate some fish. Not even Gai seemed to have the courage to say anything, like one wrong word could destroy the balance that kept them from panicking when thinking about what laid ahead of them.

"So…" Yuda said, when they all were done eating. "Shall we go?"

"The gemstone is suppose to be at the top of the mountain," Shin told. "We should be able to see the mountain itself as soon as we're a bit away from the water."

"Isn't it supposed to be high?" Gai asked, while they started walking.

"No, actually it's only a bit bigger than a hill, and a lot rockier. Like said, it's the weather that's so dangerous. Not the height," Shin explained. "And there are many cracks in the ground. That and the landslides make it possibly more dangerous than anything we've ever been through."

"Sounds comforting," Gai muttered.

"It is what it is. We'd better be prepared for it, rather than ignore it," Yuda defended Shin.

"Either way, let's keep close to each other. Whatever happens, I don't think it's a good idea to split up," Goh said, before Gai could go on nagging.

"Indeed. If one of us gets hurt somehow, the rest should help immediately," Ruka agreed.

After that, they walked in silence, watching the mountain coming to view. Rei couldn't repress a shiver when he looked at it for the first time. It wasn't big, but it was sharp and pointy. All rocks, not any life on it. Not even some grass. It looked painful, somehow, sharp stones sticking from it everywhere. There were also black stripes to be seen, probably the cracks. But at the top of it, there was something shining brightly in the sun.

"Is that the gemstone?" Gai asked, softer than his usual tone of voice.

"I think so," Shin replied, his voice a bit tense.

When they came closer to it, like entering some strange room, the temperature dropped to almost freezing, and a strong wind almost cut their breath. Suddenly, there was some loud rumbling, followed by several large rocks sliding down the mountain, destroying some others stones on their way down.

"Okay, I understand what you meant by 'dangerous landslides', Shin," Gai commented. "We really can't fly to that gemstone?"

"With this wind?" Rei responded. "It would be impossible not to be blown away."

The ground underneath their feet was now all rocks, and to make it even worse, also slippery. "Rei." Ruka took his hand, and like it had been agreed on beforehand, they all took each other's hands. It did made it easier not to lose balance due to the wind, but Rei felt less sure about not slipping now he couldn't use his arms. They were already walking up now, past dangerously deep cracks. "Be careful not to fall," Yuda warned, walking at front, with Ruka behind him.

No one replied, the wind was getting too strong to be able to understand each other anyway. Almost at three-quarter, Rei saw. But walking was going slow now, as it was almost impossible not to get blown of their feet by the strong wind. He suddenly heard Yuda yell. Almost like a nightmare, Rei saw the red-haired angel's feet slip. Ruka tried dragging him back up, only causing himself to fall too. Before Rei could even respond, the silver-haired angel let go of his hand. Another sharp gust of wind, throwing Rei backwards against Goh.

He heard someone screaming when he saw a small landslide coming towards them. It wasn't until Goh dragged him to the side, out of the sliding rock´s way, when he realized it had been himself and Shin. Because what their minds refused to register, their eyes couldn't help but see. That they and Gai and Goh were as good as safe. Ruka and Yuda weren't. In blind panic he tried to run to them, seeing from the corner of his eyes that Shin was trying to do the same, but Gai and Goh wouldn't let them. Within a fraction of a second, the wave of rocks crashed over Ruka and Yuda. For a moment, they screamed. Then there was only the sound of the rocks rolling down the mountain.

Then, all went strangely silent.

"Ruka!" As soon as the landslide was past them, the danger was over, he ran to his beloved's side. He didn't move at all, lying there face-down next to Yuda. The red-haired angel didn't move either, though Shin desperately called his name. Feeling like his own heart could stop beating any moment, Rei suddenly realized how much blood there was. How quiet the two lying on the ground were.

No. That wasn't possible. It just couldn't!

"Ruka, please! Wake up!" Panicking again, he turned his beloved onto his back, not even caring that he could make certain injuries worse by moving him. And this time, he did felt his heart skip some beats. "Ruka… no…" There was even more blood on his chest, like all his ribs had been cracked due to the impact of the rocks hitting him. His face was uninjured, as beautiful as ever. But deadly pale. "No!" Unable to fight his tears any longer, desperate not to allow this to be the truth, he placed his hand on Ruka's wrecked chest. "No… please…" No movement. He wasn't breathing. Which meant… "Ruka! You can't leave me!" He gasped for breath, heavy sobs shaking his slender frame. "Ruka!"

Shin barely heard Rei screaming, feeling like the world had ceased to exist. Yuda's face was just as pale, though his chest was less wrecked than Ruka's. He did have a horrible wound on his head though, and his neck appeared to be broken. "This can't be…" He barely felt the tears dripping down as face, as he felt the same lack of movement from Yuda's chest, as Rei had felt with Ruka. No! If they'd hadn't fallen… If they had been quicker, this wouldn't have happened!

Yuda couldn't be gone forever. He just couldn't, because Shin felt sure he wouldn't be able to bear another second without him. But… he didn't have to be. Suddenly feeling strangely calm, he looked at Rei. Like the purple-haired angel felt it, he looked back, the look in his eyes so completely devastated, it hurt physically. "Stand behind me," Shin said softly, hinting Gai and Goh to do the same. Goh had to practically drag Rei away from Ruka's lifeless body, but when they all were at a safe spot, Shin slowly stood up, gathering all his powers for what he was trying to do.

A strange, clearly angelic light came over Ruka and Yuda, also covering Shin. The sharp wind on the mountain was replaced by dazzling, but soothing gusts of wind, as Yuda and Ruka were lifted off the ground a bit. Using all the power he possessed, time turned back at his command, only affecting the two bloodied angels. Slowly, the wounds started disappearing.

Rei watched breathlessly, sobs still wrecking his body. 'Please let this work...' he begged in his mind. 'Please… it can't end like this. Or it'll also be the end of me'.

"Damn…" he suddenly heard Goh mumble, looking at some spot close to the top of the mountain. Outside of this safe spot created by Shin's magic, the weather hadn't changed a bit. Rei gasped when he saw what Goh already had spotted. Another landslide was forming, slowly coming their way. If it would hit them, would stop Shin's magic, it would all be over.

Rei heard Shin's breathing turning increasingly irregular, indicating how much using his powers was draining him. But Ruka and Yuda seemed almost healed. Only some more moments, and they would be saved. If only the landslide wouldn't be here sooner.

"Gai, there still is time to use your powers!" Goh said to the small blonde.

"But with all those cracks, the mountain might crumble apart!"

"Take the risk, or we'll be dead anyway!"

Gai nodded and then placed his hands on the ground. With loud rumbling, huge walls came out of the mountain, shielding them from the landslide. At the same time, the ground underneath them slowly started collapsing. Rei saw Shin trembling, nearly losing his balance. Without thinking, he threw his arms around Shin's chest to steady him, feeling the magical aura almost hitting him away, but refusing to let go until the magic was done.

Slowly, Ruka and Yuda were lowered to the ground again, and while the last bit of magic disappeared from the air, they slowly opened their eyes. All Rei wanted to do was run to Ruka immediately, but he felt the blue-haired angel suddenly going limp, collapsing into his arms like some ragdoll. "Shin?" No response came, but he heard his friend breathing fast and irregular. Which meant that he at least was breathing.

"What…" In a moment, Yuda kneeled next to Shin, being followed by Ruka.

"He'll be okay, using his powers just took a lot of his energy," Rei explained, his voice only trembling a bit, and handed the blue-haired angel over to Yuda. Then, suddenly looking at Ruka's beautiful face, at those breathtaking crimson eyes, so full of worry and love, he finally broke. While the sobbing, that had almost ceased, came back twice as strong, he practically threw himself at his beloved, wrapping his arms around him and burying his face against his beloved's throat. Trembling a bit, Ruka embraced him and carefully caressed his back.

Unable to talk through his crying, Rei left it to Goh to inform Ruka and Yuda about what had happened, and about what had almost happened. By the end of that explanation, Ruka was trembling almost as badly as Rei was, holding the purple-haired angel so close, Rei almost got trouble breathing properly.

"I'm so sorry," Ruka suddenly whispered in Rei's ear, his voice wavering. "I'm so sorry…" It ended in a soft sob.

A bit startled, Rei looked up to see tears forming in Ruka's eyes. "No… you s-shouldn't… be s-sorry. I just…" Another sob. "I t-thought… I… I h-had lost y-you…" He had to stop talking for a moment, desperately trying to calm himself, but unable to shake that terrible feeling off just yet. "I… I love you!"

"I love you too, Rei." Tenderly, Ruka kissed him. "I never want to leave you." He took a deep breath. " But we shouldn't stay here too long. Shin is unconscious, which makes it even more dangerous. We have to get that gemstone and then get away from this place. Can you go on?"

Letting out a shaky sigh, Rei nodded, and then looked at Yuda. The red-haired angel was holding Shin tightly, apparently fighting back his tears. "Yuda?"

"I'll carry him." Slowly, Yuda stood up, Shin safely in his arms. "Let's hurry."

This time, they didn't care about slipping, running up the mountain as fast as they could. As soon as there were any signs that a new landslide could come, Gai made the protective walls around them. It did cause the mountain to collapse further and further though. At the exact moment Goh grabbed the gemstone, the whole mountain seemed to fall apart.

"Rei!" Ruka yelled, trying to speak through the heavy wind. "You take Yuda and Shin!"

Immediately, Rei understood what he meant to do, and together they flew off the mountain, carrying their friends. The wind blew them away more than that they were actually choosing where they were going, but after some horrible seconds they had finally gained enough height to fly back to the lake with the caves, and land safely. Nearly losing his balance when he landed, Rei dropped onto his knees voluntarily, before he would really fall.

"Rei?" Ruka asked worriedly, placing his arm gently around Rei's thin shoulders. "Are you hurt?"

"No." Rei sighed. "Just… so tired." Both physically and mentally. How Ruka had been lying there, bloodied and not breathing, that image would never be erased from his memory, no matter how much he'd want that. And his worries about Shin didn't make him feel any better either. "Yuda, how is Shin doing?" he asked softly.

"He's still unconscious," Yuda replied, his voice tense from worry. "And he's so pale…" His voice trailed off, his face tense from worry and guilt.

"After using so much of his powers, it wouldn't be surprising if he'd stay asleep for days," Goh tried to comfort him. "As long as you're with him, he'll be safe, right?"

"I hope so," Yuda sighed, sitting down next to Rei. "Can we stay here for the night? Then at least he can regain some energy before we travel on."

No one disapproved with that suggestion, all of them feeling to drained by today to even want to go through the underwater caves right now. For some time, they just sat there, talking quietly, until Rei baked some fishes and they ate dinner in silence.

"So… who'll be guard after who?" Goh asked after a long and awkward hour of silence.

"I'll go first," Ruka offered, giving Rei a quiet glance. The purple-haired angel understood immediately, and offered to go next. That way, when he had to take over from Ruka, they could talk in private for a few minutes. Goh offered to go after him, then Yuda, and last in line went Gai.

A few minutes later, Rei was trying to fall asleep with his head on Ruka's lap, concentrating on the feeling of his beloved's hand caressing his hair. As always, it felt great. But it also made him thing about how close he had been to losing him forever. Briefly, he came to the realization that Ruka must have felt the same way, after their fight. Though that probably had been worse, since Ruka had been the one who had inflicted the damage on Rei. The purple-haired angel was sure that his angel hadn't been in his right mind, and that it was in no way Ruka's fault. But he knew Ruka still secretly blamed himself.

Which brought his mind to a lot more unpleasant memories, making it now completely impossible to fall asleep. "Ruka?" he mumbled.

"Yes?" Worriedly, the silver-haired angel took Rei's hand and squeezed it. "Are you okay? You're so tense."

"I just… Ruka… I can't stop thinking about it," Rei knew he probably made no sense, but he felt the grip Ruka had on his hand tightening. Of course, his beloved always understood, somehow. Well, most of the time, at least.

"I'm here, you know that. Is there anything I can do to make you feel more sure?"

That, he didn't know. "Maybe…" But then he'd make Ruka sit in an uncomfortable way. "Ah… never mind."

"No, tell me," Ruka insisted. "Please? I really don't like seeing you so tense, especially not when I can help it."

"Well, could you please hold me?" Rei asked softly, feeling too shy to look at his beloved. "I mean, sitting on your lap sideways, and leaning against your chest." Then he'd be able to feel and hear his beloved's breath and heartbeat. That would definitely help against this scared feeling.

"Sure," Ruka immediately agreed. "Come here."

Relieved, Rei sat up and moved onto Ruka's lap. Gently, his angel wrapped his arms around Rei's small shoulders, allowing the purple-haired angel to rest his head against his beloved's collarbone. Somehow, Rei instantly felt a lot better, feeling a lot closer to his beloved. "I love you so much," he whispered, suddenly feeling sleepy.

"I love you to," Ruka whispered back, starting to caress Rei's hair again. Finally, his entire being fully concentrating on Ruka's gentle touch, Rei drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**So… you all probably hate me now for doing that to Ruka and Yuda, and for making Rei and Shin witness it… But they survived, so please don't kill me! *hides behind her laptop***

**Well, either way, now there's just the journey back left. And then two of our favorite angels have a certain promise left to fulfill… ;) But knowing me, that's going to take some chapters, so you're not rid of me yet! (probably going to do a sequel… so you'll won't be rid of me for a long time! XD )**

**I'll update next weekend, or maybe sooner^^**

**By the way, while uploading this, I killed again! This time no angels, but the 'Caps Lock' key on my laptop. Oops...**


	38. Part IV: 15

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters

Please R & R^^

* * *

Woken up by a soft shake at his shoulder, Rei opened his eyes. Morning already? But it was dark, and he was still tired. "Ngg…" With that soft groan, he closed his eyes again. Another soft shake at his shoulder. "What?" he mumbled now, keeping his eyes shut. A soft chuckle sounded.

"It's supposed to be your turn to be guard," a soft voice told him. Ruka's voice.

"Eh?" Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't morning, and opened his eyes with a soft gasp. "Ah… R-Ruka… Sorry, I guess I was still half asleep."

"No wonder, after yesterday," his beloved sighed. "I can still barely believe that Yuda and me really… Well, you know what I mean."

Rei wished he could say the same, but the lost and hopeless feeling of losing Ruka was still very real in his heart. "I truly thought I had lost you forever," he admitted. "It's still scaring me, that feeling."

For a moment, they just sat there, Rei still in Ruka's strong arms. Eventually, the silver-haired angel spoke again. "I felt the same after you nearly died. Trust me, it'll fade. But it won't ever fully go away. Every single time we're in a dangerous situation, I only want to protect you. And I know that's not necessary, and it only makes it more dangerous to myself… But I just can't help it." Softly, he kissed Rei's forehead. "I really hope you'll get over it completely."

The smaller angel only nodded silently, knowing for sure he'd never stop being scared of having to go on without his beloved one. He knew, though, that Ruka would only feel guilty about that, so it probably would be best not to tell him. After a long yawn, he pulled back from Ruka's embrace and looked at his beloved's face. It seemed slightly paler than usual, and he obviously was exhausted. "You look tired. Can…" As usual, he felt his cheeks heating up again. "Can I hold you while you sleep?"

"If… if it doesn't bother you… That'd be really nice," Ruka mumbled, almost shyly.

With a soft smile on his beautiful face, Rei sat more comfortably, and then allowed Ruka to sit down on his lap sideways. Almost immediately, the silver-haired angel snuggled against him and closed his eyes. Embracing him gently, Rei kissed the top of his head. "Goodnight," he whispered.

"Mmh… goodnight," Ruka mumbled, sounding half-asleep already. His head was pillowed on Rei's shoulder, close to his neck, and the purple haired angel felt the soft breath of his beloved against his throat. "Rei?"

"Yes?"

A soft smile. "You… smell nice…" With that, Ruka's body went limp and he obviously fell asleep. Leaving Rei with slightly red cheeks and a small but happy smile on his face. When his turn as guard was finally over, he carefully laid Ruka down and then laid down against him, falling asleep almost instantly.

Faintly, he realized he was dreaming. But no matter how much he wanted it, he couldn't make himself wake up. They were at the mountain again, Ruka and Yuda lying on the ground, bloodied and lifeless. Shin tried to make time turn back. But in this nightmare, it wouldn't work. Ruka and Yuda weren't saved. He'd had to go on without his beloved, lonely and devastated. The nightmare went on, apparently they had gotten the gemstone, and now they were at home. Rei was sitting in his room, lying on his bed, refusing to get up and face a world without Ruka. Shin was sitting next to him, on the edge of the bed, and Rei knew his friend was crying. He just couldn't force himself to even say something to help him.

The nightmare was so real, Rei felt the horrible grief and pain, and the guilt of not being able to help Shin, to make it through this together. His friend was practically begging him for help, begging him to say something, do something, not to be gone too. But Rei didn't move until he heard the blue-haired angel run off, the broken sobs echoing in the hallway. Somewhere, he knew he had to go after him, that something bad would happen if he didn't. Despite that, he still couldn't find the inner strength to do anything at all.

With a stifled sob, he woke up, the last moment of the dream still vividly in his mind. Fear, sadness… guilt. What had happened if he hadn't woken up? What would he have seen? He had a feeling it was better not to know, but he was still left with a bad feeling, and the urge to do something but he didn't know what. Right now, it seemed the most important thing was to get his breathing to slow down, and to stop the tears dripping from his eyes.

"Rei?" Yuda's worried voice almost startled the purple-haired angel. "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Y-yes," Rei admitted, trying to smile at him but failing completely. "But I'm f-fine now."

"You sure?" Yuda asked softly.

Rei only nodded, glancing at Shin. The blue-haired angel was still lying unmoving in Yuda's arms. While looking at the two, he suddenly spotted some wet trails on Yuda's face, though it was hard to see in the dark. "Yuda? How's Shin doing?"

"He… he's still unconscious." Yuda's voice was slightly trembling while looking at the angel in his arms. "I think he's just exhausted, but his breathing sounds so weak, and he's so terribly pale."

Now Rei was sure it were tears that made those trails on Yuda's cheeks. But it also made the scared feeling from his dream grow. Careful not to wake Ruka, he stood up and walked to Yuda and Shin, sitting down next to them. "Yuda…" Remembering how much he had needed to feel Ruka with him right after what had happened yesterday, he realized what might be the reason why Shin seemed so weak. "This might sound odd… but…" He tried to gather the courage to ask what he wanted to ask.

"Rei, anything that you think might help him, please tell," Yuda said softly. "I'd do anything to make him feel better."

"Well…" He felt his cheeks heating up. "D-don't get angry at me for asking, but… have you tried kissing him?" Yuda stared at him afoul. "I-I mean… I needed to feel Ruka with me so badly after what happened, but Shin fainted before you even woke up. He doesn't even know that his magic worked, so that might be why… why he doesn't even seem to be trying to wake up. B-but if you kiss him… that's such an intimate touch, that he might feel it, even while he's unconscious." Not daring to look at Yuda any longer, he stared at the ground. "Eh… I don't know if I'm right… But it can only make things better, I think."

It was silent for some time, making Rei feel increasingly awkward, but finally Yuda spoke again. "W-won't that be like taking advantage of him?"

"He loves it when you kiss him," Rei told him, his gaze still towards the ground.

Another silence, but a short one this time. "Y-you're right, I guess." Slow and gently, Yuda placed his hand on Shin's cheek, leaned down, and softly placed a long kiss on the smaller angel's lips. Suddenly, Shin moaned almost inaudibly, his eyes fluttering open for a moment. "Shin?" Yuda asked immediately. "Shin, are you okay?"

Though his eyes were half-closed and glazy, Shin did look at him. A soft smile appeared on his pale face for a moment. "Now I am," he whispered. "So tired… but… I'm so glad… you're still… with me." His eyes slid shut again, and his breathing got slow and regular. It sounded a lot stronger than it had moments ago, though.

Relieved, Rei let his breath escape, realizing he had been holding it in the entire time Shin was awake. "Seems like it worked…" he whispered, more to himself than to anyone else.

"Rei… Thanks." Yuda was still staring at Shin's face, tears dripping down his cheeks again, but now they were clearly tears of relieve. It made Rei feel a bit like an intruder, since he'd never seen Yuda cry like this before. "And… you don't have to look so awkward. You've always been a great help, with the relationship between me and Shin."

"Ah… Eh, you're welcome," Rei mumbled.

Yuda smiled. "Sorry to keep you awake, though. And I think Ruka's missing something right now."

"Eh?" Rei looked back at the silver-haired angel to see him mumbling something unintelligible in his sleep and then whispering Rei's name. "Aw…" Rei couldn't help but to smile at how cute his beloved one looked at that moment. "I guess I'll go back to sleep." Silently, he went back to Ruka's side. "Goodnight, Yuda."

"Goodnight."

At the moment Rei laid down against Ruka, the taller angel immediately wrapped his arms around him, snuggling closer. "Mmh…" With a soft groan, Ruka opened his eyes for a moment, looking at him sleepily. "Rei?"

"I'm here," the purple-haired angel whispered reassuringly. "Go back to sleep."

"Okay." Ruka's eyes slid shut again, and Rei felt him falling back to sleep. With a soft smile, he closed his eyes to, and also drifted off to sleep.

When he woke next morning, the first thing he saw when opening his eyes was Ruka's beautiful face, still fast asleep. His beloved was lying closely against him, Ruka's arms still wrapped around Rei's slender frame. It felt so warm and safe, Rei couldn't help but to close his eyes and just lie there for a few minutes longer. Still, he couldn't feel completely safe or happy right now. With a soft sigh, he opened his eyes and sat up.

"Rei?" Gai looked at him a bit worriedly, and Rei remembered that the small blonde was the last in line to be guard tonight. "You all right? You look a bit pale."

"Eh… I'm just… a bit tired, I guess," Rei mumbled.

"After waking up from hours of sleeping?" Gai chuckled. "Sounds logical."

Rei didn't even glare at him, he just pulled up his knees and rested his head on them. It wasn't normal indeed, to feel so tired after almost a full night's sleep. But thinking about all they had been through, and then thinking about having to travel all the way back… That was enough to make him feel exhausted, both mentally and physically, but he didn't want to tell Gai that. The blonde would make a joke of it, but on the inside he'd feel worried. They all had gone through this journey, so Rei felt he didn't have any right to burden his friends any more.

"Hey, there's still half an hour left before we all have to get up. Why don't you sleep for that time?" Gai suggested.

"Hm… But I'll only be more sleepy if I'm not awake some minutes before breakfast," Rei mumbled. "I'm fine." He didn't feel fine at all, and he was starting to get a headache, but it probably would get better soon, right? He heard Gai standing up and walking towards him. A bit surprised, he suddenly felt the smaller angel's arm around his shoulders.

"Hey, don't worry too much about everything, okay?" Gai said softly. "We've gotten so far, and all that's left to do is go back home. We'll make it, and I'm sure Shin will wake up soon, and everything will be all right."

Briefly, Rei wondered if it was Gai wasn't just trying to comfort himself. But either way, it made him feel a little better, and he silently leaned against the smaller angel for a moment.

Nearly an hour later, they went into the caves again. On this side, the slide wasn't as fast, giving them the chance to hold onto each other and end up in the same passage. Rei felt sick anyway, by the time the slide ended. Trying to hide it, which shouldn't be that difficult in the dark, he leaned against the wall for a moment. Almost immediately, he felt a warm hand grabbing hold of his.

"Rei?" Ruka's voice. "You okay?"

Why couldn't people stop asking him that? "Yes, I'm okay," he responded rather snappy. He couldn't bring himself to pull away his hand though, since Ruka's touch was undeniably comforting.

"Just a question," Ruka mumbled, sounding a bit hurt.

"Sorry, it's just…" Rei sighed, unable to come up with a proper explanation. "Never mind, shall we hurry?"

The walk seemed much quicker this time. Well, not having a concussion probably helped at that. Within three hours, they had reached the slide that led to the exit. "Seems like we'll have to fly," Ruka remarked, "Rei, will you take Yuda and Shin?"

"Okay." Getting some light from their wings, Rei and Ruka gathered their passengers and flew towards the exit. Even though it was mainly Yuda who was holding Shin, Rei still felt how limp and cold the blue-haired angel was. No wonder, if he had used so much energy that couldn't even shiver to get a bit warmer. Still, it'd be really bad if he'd catch a cold now, while he was so weak, and especially since they were still traveling.

If only Shin would be awake, maybe then Rei wouldn't feel so scared every time he looked at his friend. How Shin had collapsed into his arms, after saving Ruka and Yuda, that feeling he'd never forget. Despite the fact that the first thing on his mind had been Ruka that entire time, the immense fear that Shin would lose his own life while bringing the other two back wasn't easy to get over.

Carefully, they landed on the grass at the edge of the lake, and Yuda sat Shin down on the ground for a short break. The blue-haired angel slumped against him like some ragdoll, still completely unconscious. Rei had hoped that after Shin had woken up for a moment last night, he'd only be asleep. The way he laid in Yuda's arms though, and his pale face, told that his mind was further away than just asleep.

Silently, he sat next to Yuda, and carefully caressed Shin's hair out of his face. He hadn't even noticed anymore that his friend had lost the ribbon that usually held his hair out of the way. Shin didn't respond to the touch even a bit.

"He's so weak right now," Yuda mumbled, his voice trembling a bit. "What if he gets a cold or something?"

"You can probably heal the worst of it," Rei tried to comfort his friend, as well as himself.

"B-but what if I don't notice it in time?" Yuda's voice broke. "W-what if he…"

"He'll get better, I know he will!" Rei interrupted him, not wanting to hear the other option out loud. "You're with him the entire time, and at night he's being watched by whoever is sitting guard at that moment." Yuda only nodded, not saying anything.

"How are we going to get through the thunderstorms without putting him in too much risk?" Ruka suddenly asked.

"Gai, can't you make a tunnel or something?" Goh suggested.

"Too much distance, it would collapse halfway," the small blonde replied.

"What if we fly really quickly above the clouds?" Rei suggested.

"We'll be in more risk than if we walk," Yuda remarked.

"Yes, if we'd be running at average speed," Rei explained. "But the fact is, having one of us unconscious is going to slow us down, which make's running more dangerous than flying."

"Flying is faster indeed, but there's no way of getting through those clouds alive. And if we start flying at a safe distance, we'll be too tired to fly fast enough by the time we're there," Ruka said. "But we can try to fly just above the ground, right?"

"That could work," Goh agreed. "But carrying all of us will probably slow you two down."

"What if Goh, Yuda and me run and one of you carries Shin while flying?" Gai suggested.

"Remember last time you ran? Yuda and me can run, you're going to be carried." That remark earned Goh a glare from the small blonde.

"I'm not that clumsy!"

"You did trip, last time," Rei chuckled.

"Tch!" Pouting a bit, the cat-like angel stared at the ground.

"Rei? You probably want to carry Shin?" Yuda asked.

"If you trust me enough with him," Rei replied softly. "Ruka is stronger, so maybe Shin is safer with him."

"We're equally good at flying, so that should make no difference," Ruka remarked. "Besides, I can see you want to carry him."

"I know you won't let anything happen to him," Yuda agreed.

At the edge of the hills, Yuda carefully placed Shin in Rei's arms. Again, the blue-haired angel didn't respond. But at least Rei could hear him breathing softly, which was reassuring. Gai reluctantly allowed Ruka to carry him, grumbling something rather unfriendly about a certain brunette.

"Let's go," Ruka said, Rei and him spreading their wings at exactly the same time.

* * *

**Compared to the last few chapters, this was a short one, sorry… I've been busy with work, since almost everyone at the farm where I volunteer is on vacation in exactly the same few weeks, and somehow I ended up promising I'd come work every day… XD Well, at least it's fun to work there. **

**Okay, back to the story, I think there was a bit too much conversation and too little action in the last part, but I hope it was fun to read anyway ;)**

**I'll update in a week^^**


	39. Part IV: 16

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Sorry to people who reviewed/sent me a message… I couldn't reply because my internet is half-dead, so I can't get online for more than 2 minutes to update, before it just stops working… It'll be fixed soon, though (I hope)**

* * *

The thunder still scared Rei, but the realization that his friend's life depended on him right now, helped to ignore his fear. Shin hung limply in his arms, completely unaware of the danger he was in right now. Well, that might be for the best. If he'd be awake, it would only be worse for him, knowing what was going on but being too weak to help.

A lightning bolt shot directly at them for about the fifth time, and Rei only barely managed to dodge it. Only about a half a mile left… His breaths came in short, harsh gasp as he fought to keep up his speed. Normally, he wouldn't fly half this fast while carrying someone, and his body made him know that. Forcing his wings to move even faster, now going at a speed he normally wouldn't even go when he was alone, he made it through another quarter of a mile.

Ruka was still right beside him, giving him a worried glance every now and then. Rei could see, however, that the silver-haired angel had almost as much trouble to keep going as he had. In his arms, Shin suddenly stirred weakly, alerting Rei that their speed was making breathing more difficult. "Only… a bit… longer," he managed to whisper out, gaining some height to get past the hills. Finally, like passing through a wall, the storm laid behind them, the sky now clear blue above them.

Quickly he landed, nearly tripping when his feet hit the ground. Dizzy for a moment, from stopping so fast, he dropped onto his knees, but managed to keep Shin from falling. The blue-haired angel was completely motionless again, though his breathing sounded a bit strained. Slowly, Rei sat down, Shin on his lap and still embracing the unconscious angel. "We're okay," he whispered in his ear. "Shin, don't worry. We'll protect you." It could only be his imagination, but Shin's breathing seemed to calm down a little.

"Rei?" Ruka and Gai sat down beside him. "Are you all right?"

Rei nodded quietly. "Shin is okay too. I think he had a little trouble breathing when we went that fast, but he's fine now." He didn't feel so fine himself, but he didn't want Ruka to worry about him again. But his head was pounding a bit, and he couldn't stop panting. Well, if he just sat here for a while, it'd probably get better.

"There are Yuda and Goh!" Gai pointed. Indeed, their friends were running quickly towards them. Yuda immediately sat down next to Rei, not having enough breath at the moment to speak, but the question was clear in his eyes.

"He's all right," Rei reassured him. Suddenly, the headache got a little worse and a wave of nausea went through him. "Eh… c-can you take him back? I-I don't feel s-so… good." Alarmed, Ruka looked at him, while Rei practically pushed Shin into Yuda's arms, jumped onto his feet and stumbled a few feet away from the rest. It wasn't until after he emptied his stomach, that he noticed two strong arms that had been holding him gently all that time.

"Rei?"

"S-sorry, it's just the stress, I think." Tiredly, Rei leaned back against Ruka's chest. "I'll be fine in a moment."

"Are you sure?" Ruka asked concerned.

"Yes. So don't worry."

"It's my fault, isn't it? For nearly dying," his beloved mumbled guiltily.

Immediately, Rei looked up. "No! Well, the main thing I worry about is you, but that's because I love you so much!"

Silently, Ruka looked at him. "I don't think I ever met anyone who cares as much as you."

Feeling a bit unsure, Rei looked at him. "Is that a bad thing, or not?"

"You're so…" Before even finishing that line, Ruka turned him around and kissed him fully onto his mouth. After some moments, Ruka pulled back and smiled at him. "Even while you've just vomited, you make me want to kiss you, and it still feels amazing. Rei, everything about you is great in my opinion. But for your own sake, don't worry so much."

"Ruka…" Finally, a smile appeared on his face, as well as deep blush. "T-thanks."

With a faint ache in his chest, Yuda watched Ruka and Rei. He longed so much to talk to Shin again. Usually, since they'd been back together, they were together almost the entire day and night. But now, with his beloved one unconscious, he felt strangely alone. Shin's body was so close, he even felt the smaller angel breathing, but his mind seemed so far away. All Yuda wanted was Shin to be able to tell him everything was going to be all right. To tell him he wasn't going to lose him. And he wanted so much to tell Shin how much he loved him, to thank him for saving his life. But he knew Shin wouldn't hear him right now.

Maybe that was what hurt so much. Though Shin looked completely out of it, Yuda knew him so well, he could see the faint traces of stress on Shin's face. Pain, even. And there was nothing he could do to help him. Nothing he could do but watch, and wait for him to wake up. Silently, he caressed Shin's pale cheek. Normally, his beloved would lean into that touch, probably smiling. Now, he didn't even stir. Well, at least his breathing still felt strong enough and even.

"Yuda?" Goh's voice startled him a bit. "Shall we get walking again?"

"Eh, okay." Quickly, he stood up. His friends were already waiting, he saw. Holding Shin tightly against his body, he started walking after them. It'd be a long way home, especially without Shin to talk with, but that was the exact reason they should hurry. To get home as soon as possible.

He saw Rei, though having a rather pale face, looking worriedly at Shin. "Has… has he gotten worse due to the flying?" the purple-haired angel asked softly, his eyes shifting to Yuda's face. He seemed almost scared for the reply.

"No, of course not," Yuda reassured him immediately. "You've been so careful with him, it'd be impossible for him to be hurt due to the flying. Why do you ask?" Did Shin seem weaker than earlier? Did he just not want to see it, and had he therefore not noticed? Please no…

"It just…" Rei sighed. "Well, he seems a bit better than before. But I just wanted to know for sure, that I wasn't just seeing it because I want him to be better."

Exactly the same of what he was afraid of, Yuda realized. "He seems a bit stronger to me too," he admitted to the angel. "I was scared too, that he looked worse but that I just refused to see it."

"He does look better," Ruka commented. "Still really pale, but less… far away."

Yuda stared at Shin's face for a moment. It was beautiful, as always, and indeed he did have some more color on his cheeks than before. He still looked pale, but less ghostly than he had earlier. It didn't seem like he'd wake up soon, though. He still seemed so exhausted. But at least he knew Yuda was waiting for him, or at least, the red-haired angel hoped his beloved had been awake enough to remember seeing him, last night.

"Guys, we're getting close to that place with the snakes and demons," Gai suddenly remarked. "I can already see the river by the forest."

"Ruka, Rei, are you two already capable of flying again?" Goh asked.

"Well, not that fast as just now," Rei replied. "But it's already past eight at night, so can't we stay on this side of the river for tonight? Tomorrow I'll be able to fly as fast as I can again." He glanced at Ruka.

"Same here," the silver-haired angel replied. "Besides, we should be twice as ready to fight as last time, since Shin can't defend himself while unconscious."

"We could fly above the clouds," Rei suggested. "We won't be that easy to spot if we're up there, though there'll be less oxygen. We'll need to have a lot of speed before we get there, or we won't make it to the other side of the forest."

"Can Shin handle that kind of speed and lack of oxygen right now?" Goh asked Yuda.

"I don't know. If it's fast enough, I think he'll be able to bear it," Yuda replied. "But if he's getting too much trouble breathing, we should fly a bit lower."

"Okay," Rei nodded.

"Flying that high will at least be safer than getting in touch with those demons again," Ruka commented. Yuda remembered how Ruka had protected Rei from the demon's combined attack, when the purple-haired angel had fallen, and he knew exactly how Ruka felt. Nothing was worse than to see the person you loved most, being in so much danger and pain.

"Then shall we walk on to the river's edge, where we spend the night the last time we were there?" Goh suggested. "It proved to be safe last time, so it be a good place to camp now too."

No one disagreed, so they walked to there. Carefully, Yuda laid Shin down on the ground, the blue-haired angel's head resting on his lap. Gently, he caressed some strands of hair out of his beloved's face. "Shin…" he whispered, wishing for his beloved to wake up, even if only for a moment. Nothing happened, Shin kept asleep. "I love you." That last line was spoken so softy, only Yuda himself could hear it, and Shin if he would have been conscious.

"We're nearly through our food reserves. Goh, shall we go fishing again?" Ruka asked. Goh agreed, asking Gai to come along too. The small blonde agreed, on terms that he would only be 'supervisor'. Meaning he wouldn't even come near the water.

"Rei, can you stay with Yuda and Shin? If something happens, it'd be better if there are at least two persons defending him," Goh said.

"Okay," Rei replied. Fishing wasn't his favorite thing to do anyway. Though he liked fish as food, he always felt bad for the animals when actually catching them himself. Luckily, his friends didn't have that problem, or there'd be pretty much nothing to eat around here. Not even Rei could cook something tasty made of grass and mud.

While the others walked to the river, Rei sat down across Yuda, and looked at Shin who was now lying in between them. "I really hope he'll feel better soon," Rei sighed. "It's so lonely without him." He quickly realized how that must have sounded, and tried to explain. "I mean… We're all good friends, and Ruka is forever the one I love most… But Shin is the one I talked with about certain things I can't discuss with Ruka."

"Such things as Ruka himself?" Yuda asked, unable to completely stifle a chuckle.

"Eh, yeah," Rei admitted, staring at the ground shyly. "I mean, you and Ruka are much alike on some things, as are Shin and me. So when one of us feels insecure about anything, the other almost always knows how to help." He sighed. "Besides, he's my best friend." It wasn't just the conversations that he missed. Despite the fact that Shin always acted so serious, he did have a playful side. And having just plain fun with his friend was what Rei had missed for weeks already. Ever since the assignment, which led to getting back Ruka and Yuda, had started, there had been nearly no time at all to have some fun.

"The last time he used his powers so much… he slept for a week, right?" Yuda asked.

A bit surprised, Rei looked up. That had been while Ruka and Yuda were still acting evil. "How do you know that?"

"I… I watched, secretly," Yuda admitted. "Either way, It'll probably take longer this time, due to how many power he used." Gently, he caressed Shin's pale cheek. "It's just so hard to keep patient."

Rei just nodded, and then sighed. Last time had been hard too, but still being on the travel made it worse, somehow. And it couldn't be too healthy for Shin either, to be carried around all day long, and having to sleep in the outside. "Well, at least the way back is always easier that to get somewhere in the first place," he tried to cheer Yuda up. "There can't already be as many demons in that part of Hell yet, after that spell Ruka used last time. And we won't have to go into that house again, in that other forest." Not having to go through that house would at least spare them a day, and because they knew what to expect now, there were more parts where they would be able to fly.

"Your right, but it's also the nights I'm worried about. It can get pretty cold at night, and he barely even seems to have the strength to shiver. And I can only hold him to warm him up."

"That's probably good enough," Rei replied. "I mean, you're a bit bigger than him, so when you hold him, he should be warm." Of course, he could only try to compare it with Ruka and him, though Rei was able to keep himself warm, while Shin wasn't at the moment. Well, they didn't bring blankets or anything, so there wasn't really anything they could do. Though… "If it helps, we could both lie on different sides of him during the night. That'll definitely keep him warm. And Ruka will lie with me anyway."

"That would help indeed," Yuda agreed. "And I'm sure Shin wouldn't mind it either."

"New sleeping arrangements?" Ruka asked.

Rei looked up to see his beloved putting down some bags with fish on the ground, being followed by Goh and Gai. "We figured it'd be better for Shin if we both lie with him during the night. And you'll sleep next to me, right?"

"Always," Ruka replied with a soft smile, sitting down next to the purple-haired angel, and placing an arm around his thin shoulders. "By the way, you really need to eat more."

"How nice of you," Rei mumbled. Geez, it wasn't like traveling by foot or wings for days didn't make one lose weight.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Ruka explained. "You're beautiful, I just care about you."

"Mmh…" With a sigh, Rei leaned against him. "I know. You just don't have to act so parent-like. You're my lover, not my dad." Well, not that angels had parents in the way humans have, but he heard it on television once, at their mansion on earth. And it made Ruka smile, so it had the intended effect.

"So," Ruka grinned, taking up the television-hint. "You're the kind of angel who falls for the bad kind of boys?"

Rei couldn't help but to smile at that. "You're not bad at all." Softly, he kissed Ruka onto his lips. It was ironic, really. Even after all that happened, he still considered the silver-haired angel to be one of the most loving persons he had ever met.

"Rei, would you mind cooking?" Goh asked.

"Ah, sure," Rei replied with a smile. There were some spices growing here, so he could have some fun trying to come up with new recipes. "Should we try to get Shin to eat something?"

"Though it would be good for him to eat, I doubt whether I can get him to wake up," Yuda answered quietly. "If he were just sleeping, it'd be easy, but he's still completely unconscious." Rei looked at Shin worriedly. How was his friend supposed to get better if he couldn't eat? Apparently, Yuda though the same thing, and after a glance at Rei's face, he said; "I'll try to wake him, but… don't count on it working."

"Okay," Rei sighed. He still hoped, though, that Shin would wake up, even if only for a few minutes. Well, he'd start cooking the fish now anyway. In silence, he searched for some spices while Ruka found some wood to make a campfire. "Thanks," Rei mumbled, smiling. He hadn't even asked Ruka to do anything, but it was nice to have some help, especially when he didn't need to ask for it.

"Can I help with anything else?" Ruka asked, noticing how happy Rei seemed with him assisting.

"Well, you could help me skinning some of the fishes. We'll need twelve of them, two for each person."

"Okay." Both using their angelic powers as tools, it wasn't like they had anything better, they started skinning the fishes. It felt nice, somehow, to be doing this kind of chores. It made Rei feel like home, like it was just a normal evening. Sometimes, he's found that rather boring. After the past few months, though, he truly missed those regular 'boring' evenings and days.

Letting out a soft sigh, he leaned his shoulder against Ruka's. "This is fun."

"The fish are smelly," Ruka commented with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but… It's nice to do something normal together." Rei felt his cheeks heating up a bit. Would that remark make him seem boring? Next thing he knew was that Ruka softly kissed his cheek. Okay, so it didn't make him seem less, at least in Ruka's point of view. "You don't think I'm weird?" he asked, still a bit uncertain.

"This isn't exactly a vacation, and I honestly feel the same. It'll be great to get back home and just relax for a few days." Ruka softly rested his head against Rei's. "You don't have to be so insecure, you know? You'll always look perfect to me, and you should know that."

"Mmh, I know. And you're perfect too, that's why… I don't know, I guess we're both a bit insecure about some things." They both still wondered sometimes what they had done to deserve one as beautiful and sweet as the other. "I guess we're both just really lucky."

"Definitely," Ruka agreed.

The fishes were all skinned, and Rei baked them in silence. When he got to the last few fishes, he noticed Yuda trying to wake up Shin, softly shaking the smaller angels shoulder and calling his name. At first, there was no response at all, but after some minutes, Shin finally sighed faintly and opened his eyes.

"Shin?" Yuda asked worriedly.

"Yuda…" Slowly, Shin blinked a few times. "So tired…"

"Try to stay awake for some minutes and eat a bit," Yuda said softly, caressing Shin's hair out of his face. Quickly, Rei gave Yuda one of the first fishes he had baked, which was already cooled down enough to be eatable.

"Mmh… not hungry," Shin mumbled.

"Just try to eat. Please, I don't want you to weaken even more," Yuda asked, carefully feeding him a piece of fish. Probably more to please Yuda than because he really wanted to, Shin ate it. Half a fish later, the blue-haired angel refused to eat more. "One more bite?" Yuda practically begged.

"Too tired," Shin whispered. "Don't know… if I'd be able… not to choke on it." He sighed, and then looked at Rei. "It tasted good, though."

"Thanks," Rei smiled, finishing baking the last fish. "How are you feeling now?"

"A little better," Shin replied with a faint smile. "I'm sorry to be such a burden, though."

"You're never a burden!" Yuda immediately stated. "And it's not like you're heavy or anything. I'm carrying you when we're walking, and Rei holds you when flying."

"You'd do the same for us," Rei added to that. "And… you got weakened this badly by saving Ruka and Yuda. Shin, you're anything but a burden." He couldn't help but to hug his friend tightly, but carefully. To his relieve, Shin felt a lot warmer and stronger than today during the flight through that thunderstorm. Resting and eating a bit really helped, luckily. "I'm so glad you're woke up. I mean, I know it's best for you to sleep right now, but having you unconscious just feels so wrong."

"Rei…" Too weak to return his friend's embrace, Shin just buried his face in Rei's long hair. "It's not like I haven't been so drained after using my power before. You know I'm only exhausted, not really hurt."

"I know, but last time we could put you in bed, and you were safe. Now we're traveling, and there are demons and everything… I'm just so scared that we won't be able to protect you enough."

"You'll be able to. I know you will," Shin tried to reassure him.

Slowly, Rei let go of him, giving him back to Yuda. The blue-haired angel's eyes were half closed already, and he'd probably fall back to sleep soon, but he still managed to snuggle against Yuda. Then, his eyes slid shut again. After a few moments, Yuda finally spoke. "I think he's only sleeping now."

Rei nodded silently, but with a smile. Suddenly, he felt an arm around his waist and got pulled into a warm embrace from behind. "Ah! R-Ruka?"

The silver-haired angel smiled lovingly at Rei's surprised face. "Come on, eat. Your fish is getting cold."

* * *

**I'll update soon^^ (and please don't let my half-dead internet stop you from reviewing ;) (Hopefully I'll be able to respond in a few days…)**


	40. Part IV: 17

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Yay! My internet got fixed! So from now on I'll be able to respond to reviews again ;)**

* * *

Somewhere late at night, Rei sat staring at the moon silently, waiting for his turn as guard to be over. Shin and Yuda laid next to him, sleeping peacefully, and Ruka laid on his other side, also sleeping, but with his arms wrapped around Rei's small waist. Still, Rei couldn't help but to admire the fact that Ruka managed to keep them there even in his sleep. Another reason, though, why he could barely wait until it was Goh's turn to be guard, was that Ruka probably get sore arms if he'd sleep in this position too long.

The main reason was of course how completely exhausted he felt, and the knowledge that he'd have to give it his all to fly high and fast enough tomorrow. Even though Shin seemed to be getting stronger, he still was in no shape to defend himself if they'd get notice by those demons again. Letting out an inaudible sigh, he stroked Shin's soft hair. His friend didn't wake, luckily, but Rei knew he wouldn't wake that easily. Ruka would wake up if Rei touched him now, but he just needed to make some physical contact right now. And Shin obviously wasn't disturbed by it. After a while, he actually stirred a bit, moving a little closer to Rei's gentle touch.

Yuda, who had his arms wrapped around Shin's slender frame, moved a bit in response to that, but didn't wake either. Looking at how the red-haired angel worried over Shin made Rei understand even more why Ruka sometimes acted so overly protective. As a friend, he already felt so scared and concerned that it almost hurt, every time he watched Shin right now. Ruka barely ever got hurt or weakened that badly. But Rei remembered from the few times that it had happened, how much more horrible it was when it was the person you were in love with.

Another sigh, and this one ended as a yawn. Watching other people sleeping wasn't exactly a good way to stay awake yourself, so he directed his gaze towards the moon again. Some bats were flying over, giving it a somewhat picture-like look. Beautiful, from Rei's point of view. But not enough to stop another long yawn, and he was starting to get trouble to keep his eyes open. Still some minutes to go, though.

Ruka groaned something unintelligible and tightened his grip around Rei's waist. "Ouch, Ruka…" Carefully, Rei pulled his beloved's arm a bit more loose around his body. "I'm still using my intestines, no need to crush them." The silver haired angel just sighed and relaxed again. Probably dreaming, Rei suspected. What luxury. Yawning again, he looked at the moon again. Somehow he got through the next few minutes, until it was time to wake Goh and go to sleep himself. Like expected, laying warmly between Ruka and Shin, he drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

In the morning, he woke earlier than the rest, to find Ruka practically lying on top of him. Well, that was starting to get a bit of a habit anyway. On his other side, he saw that Yuda still had his arms wrapped around Shin, and his face was buried in the smaller angel's hair. Even in his sleep, though, he seemed to be careful not to put any pressure onto Shin's body, apparently scared of hurting him. Exactly the opposite of Ruka, who unconsciously always tried to cover Rei from any possible dangers.

Ruka sighed in his sleep, Rei felt the warm gust of wind against his cheek. "Mmh… Ruka," he whispered, before softly kissing his beloved.

"Nng…" Ruka just groaned almost inaudibly and cuddled closer onto Rei. "Five more minutes… please…"

"Ruka… You sure you don't want to wake up?" Rei whispered in his ear, before giving him a gentle nibble at his earlobe.

"N…ng… Rei?" Sleepily, Ruka opened his eyes and looked at the purple-haired angel. In response, Rei kissed him slowly onto his lips. "Mmh… Nice way to wake up."

"I thought you'd like it," Rei whispered with a smile.

Ruka smiled back at him, and then kissed him back. "Geez, I keep ending up using you as a bed."

"I don't mind. It's nice and warm," Rei responded softly.

"Guys, people are able to hear you!" they heard Gai chuckle.

"Wha…" Rei had almost asked why the blonde was awake, but then he realized it was Gai had the last turn to be guard tonight. "Then don't listen." That only earned him an amused grin from the small angel.

Ruka didn't seem to mind, he just kissed Rei again and then closed his eyes to doze a bit longer. Yeah, it must be easy to be able to get through Gai's teasing without ending up with cheeks as red as tomatoes. Unluckily for Rei, he didn't have that same capability as Ruka had. So he decided to just press his face against Ruka's throat to hide the fact that he was blushing. Without meaning to, he drifted back to sleep within a few minutes.

The next time he woke, it was because Goh woke them up. "Mmh?" Rei mumbled.

"Hey, we overslept. It's already near noon," the brunette angel told him. "I guess the extra sleep is a good thing, but we'd better hurry. If the sky gets too clear, we'll be seen easily by the demons, even from the ground."

"Ah, yes," Ruka agreed, carefully getting off Rei and then standing up. Gentle as always, he then helped Rei getting up. Yuda stood up too, holding Shin tightly in his arms. After a really short breakfast, they walked to the edge of the river.

"Rei? You wanted to carry Shin, right?" Yuda asked.

"Yes," Rei nodded. The red-haired angel carefully placed Shin into Rei's arms. Then, they looked at each other a bit awkwardly.

Ruka seeming unsure about what to say, looking at Rei a bit worriedly. "So… who shall I carry?"

"Well…" Rei thought about it for a moment. He didn't want Ruka to have to carry more weight than him, but he also needed to be realistic. "It might be better if I take Gai. I don't have my hands free now, so whoever I'll carry, he'll have to climb on my back, but without getting in the way of my wings. Gai is the smallest one." That remark earned him a slight glare from the blonde, but he ignored it. "But that will mean that you'll have more weight to carry than me."

"Indeed, but I can take it," Ruka reassured him. "And you're right, Yuda and Goh are bigger, so your wings wouldn't have enough space to move, to get you enough speed to get over that forest quick enough."

"Well then, I guess we'll have to start flying from here," Goh said. Ruka grabbed Goh and Yuda's arms, while Rei kneeled to allow Gai to climb onto his back. With the blonde on his back, he had just enough space to let his wings come out. Together, they flew off, as fast as they could.

When they got above the clouds, Rei felt the air getting thinner. Shin's breathing still sounded strong enough, though. Concentrating on his speed, he moved his wings faster and stronger, making Gai tighten his grip around Rei's neck a little. "You still okay?" the purple-haired angel asked, having some trouble to save enough breath to talk.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Gai replied. "Just don't crash, please."

"I won't." Taking a deep breath, or at least trying to, he sped up even more. Ruka kept beside him, although not without effort. They still had a few miles to go, though, and the faster they'd make it, the safer it would be. Though he was starting to doubt whether they'd be able to keep up this speed for so long.

After a long time in silence, Goh finally noted that they should be out of the forest soon now. "Ruka, Rei, do you think you'll be able to keep up this speed long enough to get through that piece of Hell? There can't be many demons yet, so we should be able to get through it without having to use that spell again."

"I think I can. Ruka?" Rei asked.

"I can do it too," Ruka nodded.

When they got close, they lowered a bit, until they were just below the clouds. "There's the entrance!" Yuda pointed.

As soon as they were close enough, they dived down, right through the entrance. No demons at all, but their speed still was too high to see anything anyway. In the middle part, there were some, but Yuda finished them off before they even noticed the six angels. Faster than Rei had expected, they were outside again, and after another few miles they landed in the middle of the desert.

Rei only barely managed to keep standing, feeling so tired that he'd gladly lie down and sleep for a while. Instead, he carefully kneeled down to make it easier for Gai to get back on the ground. Though he looked just as tired himself, Ruka sat down next to him, giving him a worried glance. "Rei?"

"I'm fine. And you?" he replied softly.

Ruka sighed. "I'm okay too. Just tired."

"Same here." Rei looked at Shin. The blue-haired angel was still sleeping calmly. "At least Shin seems to be okay."

Yuda sat down next to him on his other side, looking at Shin. "He's a bit pale."

"No wonder, after that flight," Goh remarked. "But he seems fine otherwise."

"Yuda? Can you hold him again, please?" Rei asked. Immediately, Yuda took over Shin, and Rei let himself drop down on his back. Before he even got the chance to get self-conscious about it, Ruka laid down next to him. Thankful that he now wasn't the only one in this position, Rei smiled at him. "That definitely was a nice sports-accomplishment."

Ruka chuckled. "No doubt about that. Flying fast is great, but this lasted a bit too long to still be fun."

"Yeah." Letting out a deep sigh, Rei closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the hot sun on his face. "Can't we stay here for the night?"

"Are you able to go on?" Yuda asked.

After a short silence, in which both Rei and Ruka considered it, Rei replied. "No. Well, I could try, but I'd probably collapse halfway through."

"Then we'll stay here, that's obvious," Yuda decided. "We can't have two of us unconscious."

"We should try to get some cover though, it doesn't seem like a good idea to be in the sun for at least an hour until night, while Ruka and Rei are exhausted and Shin passed out," Goh remarked.

"Mmh…" Rei mumbled. "In a few minutes, maybe Ruka and me can use our wings as a cover from the sun."

"Yeah," Ruka agreed. "It won't be long until night anyway, so that isn't much of an effort." He sounded tired, though. Well, Rei felt exhausted too, so that wasn't anything strange. They used to make long trips often, using their wings, but at those occasions they hadn't been flying nearly as fast as now. And, which also made a difference, this time they had been carrying passengers. That also made it a lot more tiring to fly.

"Rei?"

"Hm?" Who had called him? Wait, why didn't he feel the sun any longer? Alarmed, he opened his eyes, and looked into Shin's light golden ones. "Eh? W-what…" A yawn cut that line short.

The blue-haired angel smiled softly. "You fell asleep. Goh cooked, and Yuda woke me after that. But Ruka told me you had a slight fever, so they decided to let you rest until dinner."

"Ah. Sorry," Rei mumbled, slowly sitting up. Finally, he noticed something rather important. Shin was actually sitting by himself, instead of lying in Yuda's arms. "Shin! How are you feeling?"

"A lot better than earlier. Still exhausted, but not to the point that I'm half unconscious, even when I'm awake." He still looked really pale, though.

Rei couldn't fight the urge to throw his arms around his friend and hug him. "I'm so glad you're feeling better. You know, it's really scary when you're that weak. Even last evening, with dinner, you looked so… not like yourself. So incredibly tired."

With a soft sigh, Shin relaxed against him. "It's only pure exhaustion, no injuries at all. So don't worry."

"You're my best friend. It'd be strange not to be worried about you," Rei responded.

"But… No offence, but you have a tendency to overdo it. To actually worry yourself sick, literarily."

A short silence, but it wasn't an awkward one. Rei remembered throwing up yesterday, and he couldn't disagree about Shin being right about him. "It's true. But I guess that's just part of me."

"Guess so. But… It's nice to know having a best friend who cares that much."

Rei only smiled, knowing that Shin knew he felt the same. Then, he finally looked up at the sound of Yuda's voice. "Here's your fish." Shin moved to sit next to Rei, and Yuda gave the blue haired angel a baked fish while Ruka gave Rei one. When both angels had their beloved one sitting next to them, they started eating.

It was taste-able that Rei hadn't cooked it, since there were no spices on in, but the fish itself didn't taste bad either. Well, it didn't have much taste at all, but the fact that Ruka gave it to him made Rei like it anyway. He did notice, though, that Ruka didn't eat much himself. "Ruka? Are you okay?"

"Yes. Just tired. I guess it might have been better for me if I'd slept for a bit too," the silver-haired angel replied.

"Ah." Feeling a bit guilty, Rei averted his gaze towards the ground. "I'm sorry for falling asleep, though. I should have helped with cooking."

"Don't be sorry," Ruka said immediately. "You've worked hard today, and your body obviously needed it." He chuckled softly. "One moment I was talking to you, and the next one you're asleep. I didn't even notice it at first, but since you suddenly stopped replying I realized you were sleeping."

"Why didn't you go to sleep too?" Rei asked, knowing that Yuda, Goh and Gai could have easily made dinner by themselves.

"You were sweating, so I used my wings to shield us from the sun," his beloved one explained. "Besides, Since I could move my wings completely freely during the flying, I'm pretty sure it took me less of an effort to keep my speed up, than it took you."

"Yeah, you're probably right," the smaller angel admitted, and then sighed. "I could have waited with sleeping, though. Then we both could have used our wings."

"Well, we still have some miles to go before we're out of the desert, so tomorrow we can act like parasols together," Ruka replied, with a soft smile on his face.

Rei couldn't help but to smile at that. "Okay, we will," he said, before giving his beloved one a soft kiss onto his cheek. "You are free to lean against me, you know that." Ruka smiled at him tiredly, and the leaned his head against Rei's. Immediately, the purple-haired angel felt almost happy. The feeling of Ruka's body against his own always made him feel this way, but he'd never grow tired of it. That he knew for sure.

Much later that night, that feeling was still with him. It was his turn to be guard, and the silver-haired angel was sleeping peacefully with his head pillowed on Rei's lap. The moon was lighting up his face a bit, and gave a subtle shine at his silver hair. In short, he looked beautiful. And so cute, with his face and body relaxed in sleep. For the past hour, Rei had been caressing his soft hair and occasionally stroked his slightly pale cheeks. Apart from a soft sigh every now and then, Ruka slept on silently, not disturbed at all by the purple-haired angel touching him. That display of trust made Rei feel even more happy.

Though it was still painful to think about the time he spend without Ruka by his side, that feeling of having lost the love of his life, he had gotten to the point where he'd never want to completely forget that time. And only because of one reason, that he'd never would have learned to treasure these moments if he wouldn't know what it was like to be living without it. It made him realize how rare it was to have such an amazing love, and how lucky he was.

Ruka sighed again, and then moved his head a bit to be closer against Rei's hand, which was currently stroking his cheek. "Mmh… Rei…" Silently, Rei kept moving his hand at the same pace, until his beloved one had drifted off to sleep again. Ruka seemed so tired, he didn't want to keep him awake for no reason. Besides, he secretly loved watching his beautiful angel while he slept. It were the only moment that he got to see him so completely off guard and vulnerable. It made him love the silver-haired angel even more than when Ruka was so protective over him. Okay, it was nice to know that Ruka would always be willing to keep him save from any possible danger, but knowing how much his beloved one trusted him felt so much more special.

Suddenly, Ruka yawned and rolled over onto his side, his face now pressed against Rei lower belly. It made him feel a little awkward, but Ruka was still fast asleep, completely unaware of his current position. It actually made him look even more cute, all curled up against the smaller angel, almost child-like.

As always, it made Rei feel a bit sleepy to look at sleeping people. Well, only a few minutes left. Tiredly, he let out a yawn. Even though he had gotten some hours of sleep already, he still felt exhausted, and his body felt a bit sore. No wonder, after breaking his personal record at flying as fast as he could. It had been fun though. Okay, maybe that wasn't the right word, but it had felt good to push his own limits. He didn't get to do that often, since he usually only went on flying trips with Ruka, and the silver-haired angel always seemed scared to make him tired. Even though Rei knew that was only because Ruka loved him, it did still feel a bit offending sometimes. No matter how Ruka saw him, he still was a Saint Beast, and way stronger than Ruka seemed to give him credit for.

He sighed and combed through his beloved one's hair with his fingers. Well, right now none of that was important. Right now, they had to concentrate on getting back home safely. And only when all would be normal again, they could have some good talks about such things. Besides, Rei didn't really feel like discussing their relationship in front of all their friends. And it wasn't that important anyway, it was just that he hated to see Ruka stress over him while there was nothing to be worried about. Not only did it make him feel guilty and a bit hurt, but Ruka probably felt worse about it.

And, he had to admit that, he loved taking care of Ruka, and to see the vulnerable side of his beautiful strong angel. It was nice to feel protected, but it felt even better to be able to protect someone else.

Another few hours later, he woke up from the sun shining brightly in his face. A familiar weight was on his body, and when he opened his eyes he saw Ruka lying on top of him again, fast asleep. He couldn't help but to chuckle softly, wondering how his beloved managed to end up like that almost every night, without Rei or himself waking up. Though he normally didn't mind, this time he softly shook at Ruka's shoulder to wake him.

"Nng… What?" Ruka groaned. "Five more minutes, please…"

"Ruka, it's hot enough already," Rei complained. "We're in a desert, remember?"

"Eh?" Finally, Ruka woke up and realized that indeed, it was more than a bit too warm outside to be lying like this. "Ah, sorry." Quickly, he rolled off Rei and instead laid next to him. "It wasn't on purpose. Well, not consciously, at least."

With a soft smile, Rei kissed him without getting up. "I think it's rather cute that you do that. Just not in a desert."

A faint blush appeared on Ruka's cheeks, making Rei want to hug him. Due to the temperature, though, he had to decide not to. Instead, he just moved a bit closer to him, and allowed the taller angel to kiss him again.

Almost too sleepy to keep his eyes open, yet unable to fall back asleep for some reason, Shin listened to Rei and Ruka's conversation. Maybe he should wake up Yuda too. Even though the red-haired angel wasn't lying on top of him, he was practically curled around Shin's body like he was afraid that the smaller angel would disappear. Shin was pretty sure he wouldn't, but he started to wonder whether he would melt if Yuda wouldn't let go of him soon.

Softly, he couldn't yet managed to gather more strength, he kissed Yuda's lips. His beloved one only sighed softly, and moved even closer. "Yuda!" That had barely been more than a whisper. Definitely not enough to wake up anyone. Another kiss, and this time he made it last longer. Slowly, Yuda opened his eyes, looking at him sleepily. "Shin?"

"Could you please hold me a little less tight? It's so warm," Shin whispered, hoping he wouldn't worry Yuda. Even while he still felt completely exhausted himself, he could see the slight paleness of Yuda's face, and the faint traces of stress in his eyes.

"Sorry!" Immediately, Yuda let go of him, but kept one arm draped over Shin's chest. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thanks." He smiled softly, trying to reassure him that he was all right. "A bit tired, and warm, but otherwise I feel better than I did yesterday. And how are you feeling?"

"Ah… I'm okay," Yuda replied, tiredly smiling back at him.

"You're a bit pale," Shin remarked calmly. "And I can see you've been stressing."

Letting out a deep breath, Yuda averted his gaze towards some point past Shin. "I was only… worried about you. Really worried." His grip around Shin's slender frame tightened a bit. "It scares me so much when you're unable to talk with me. It's different when you're asleep, but you seem so far away when you're unconscious."

A sharp pang of guilt went through him, and he swallowed. "I… I didn't mean to make you worry. Like I said earlier, I'm only tired, I'm not injured in any way. And I know you and the rest will keep me safe until I can defend myself again. So you shouldn't worry so much." This was starting to sound like the conversation he'd been having with Rei, last evening.

"I know," Yuda admitted. "But… I can't help loving you so much. And usually, I'm able to heal you whenever you're hurt or sick. But now I can't do anything to make you feel better immediately."

For a moment, Shin didn't know what to reply. One of the conversations he had with Rei came up in his mind, when he had told his friend that he admired the way that Rei literarily said what he felt, instead of over-thinking everything. "Well, you could start with kissing me," he mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Yuda gaped at him in surprise for less than a second, not being used to Shin saying such things, but then he smiled. "I'd love to." Gently, he placed his hand on Shin's cheek, moved forward a bit, and then gave the smaller angel a long, tender kiss onto his mouth. Shin felt his eyes sliding shut, his entire being concentrated on this one kiss. It felt like it lasted forever, but finally, Yuda pulled back to allow them to catch their breath. "Was that good enough?"

"Yuda…" No matter how warm it was, he automatically hugged the red-haired angel. "That was amazing. Thank you." He smiled happily. "And it does make me feel better immediately."

"Shin…" Yuda didn't say anything more, he just embraced his angel tenderly, longing to feel that beautiful, amazing person as close to him as possible. That one line. The one nonchalant yet shy way Shin said it. That finally gave Yuda the certainty that Shin was indeed going to be all right before too long. And the way Shin was hugging him made him feel so glad, he had to force himself not to hug him back too tightly. "I love you so much."

He felt Shin's smile growing even happier. "I love you too." For some time, they laid there in silence, until everyone was awake and they ate breakfast. Yuda noticed Shin didn't eat much, but still a bit more than he had yesterday. That was probably a sign that he was indeed starting to feel better. Either way, Rei seemed happy about it too, to judge by the way the purple-haired angel glanced at Shin every few minutes. No wonder, Rei had almost been as worried as Yuda about the blue-haired angel.

"We'd better walk fast," Goh said, after breakfast. "It won't be nice here during the afternoon."

"At least Ruka and me can use our wings to create some shadow," Rei sighed. "Geez, it's almost unbelievable that it's already so hot outside, while it's only just morning." At the same moment as Ruka, he let his wings come out. With those two walking between their group and the sun, they all traveled on.

Shin tried to walk a bit, but almost collapsed when he did as much as standing up. "You just rest a bit more," Yuda said softly, starting to lift the smaller angel into his arms.

"Wait, maybe it'll be easier on you if you carry me on your back," Shin suggested. "I can hold onto you."

"Are you sure?" Yuda asked worriedly, knowing that Shin would be less sheltered from the sun that way.

"I'm sure." Slowly, Shin managed to climb onto Yuda's back, and threw his arms around his beloved's neck. It was easier to carry him this way, Yuda had to admit that. A lot faster than he could have with the blue-haired angel in his arms, he walked on with the rest.

Another nice thing about carrying him this way, was that he actually felt Shin holding him. Though he didn't say anything, he knew that the smaller angel was still awake.

"Shin?" he asked softly.

"Hm?"

"Are you still okay?"

"Yeah," Shin mumbled. "A bit sleepy, but otherwise okay." He sighed. "I hope we'll be out of this desert quickly, though."

"If it's too warm, I can carry you in my arms. Then you'd be less close against me, so it'll be less warm."

"I'm fine, I'm only worried about you," Shin explained.

"Ah." He had to admit, it wasn't exactly pleasant, having to walk in this temperature and having someone against his body all the time. Shin wasn't heavy at all, so that was no problem. But he was warm, and therefore a heat source. "I'll be fine."

"We can take turns carrying him," Rei suggested. "That way you won't have to do the work alone."

"I don't mind," Yuda replied, a bit snappy. Shin would never feel like a burden to him.

Obviously a bit hurt by his tone of reply, Rei looked at the ground. "I only meant that it won't help if you pass out from the heat. But do whatever you want."

An awkward silence hung between them, until Shin softly kicked Yuda against his leg. "Sorry," Yuda sighed, looking at Rei. "And… you're right. I just don't want Shin to feel like he's slowing us down in any way."

"I know I'm slowing you down. But I also know you don't mind, since I'm not doing in on purpose," Shin remarked. "So don't worry about that, okay?"

"Either way, Rei, you're busy enough with shielding the rest of us from the sun," Yuda said. The purple-haired angel sighed, but didn't argue about it. And it was undoubtedly visible on his face that he was indeed having a hard time. While he and Ruka could shield the rest from the sun, they couldn't shield themselves that way. And even though he was obviously making sure that Ruka wouldn't notice, Rei was using one of his wings to give the silver-haired angel some shadow too.

"We only have less than a mile left to go," Goh said. "We'll be out of here in a little more than an hour, if we keep walking at this pace. Can you hold on for that long?"

"I can," Yuda replied immediately.

* * *

**I'll admit… I couldn't come up with an ending for this chapter , Well, I hope the rest of it was fun to read anyway ;)**

**I'll update in a week, as usual^^**


	41. Part IV: 18

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Yay! 40****th**** chapter!**

* * *

By the time they reached the end of the desert, Rei's head felt like it could explode any moment. Dizzily, he leaned against Ruka for a moment, when they stood still at the edge of the bug-populated river. The silver-haired angel didn't see that coming, and nearly lost his balance. "S-sorry," Rei mumbled, trying to ignore the fact that he was starting to feel a little nauseous. Ruka didn't reply, he just embraced him gently and helped him sit down.

"Rei? What's wrong?" Yuda asked.

"Headache…" Rei groaned, burying his face against Ruka's chest. "And I feel sick."

Quickly, Yuda checked his body. "I think you just didn't drink enough," he concluded. "I can't do much about that, I'm afraid. You'll have to sleep it off."

Rei seemed more annoyed than anything, Ruka noticed. "Hey, It's not your fault," he tried to comfort him. It only earned him a weak glare. "Rei, the others were all walking in the shadows of our wings, and you were walking behind everyone including me. So you're the only one who walked in the bright sun all day long." This time, Rei just sighed, and looked at the river in front of them. The bugs were still swarming all over it.

"Can we at least swim through that river right now? I don't think I can get much further, but at least then we've crossed some kind of border," Rei asked softly. "It should be safe in that forest across the river now, since that house isn't haunted anymore."

"Seem like a good idea," Yuda admitted, before looking at Shin, who had fallen asleep on his back. Carefully, he woke the blue-haired angel. "Shin? Can you hold your breath and hold onto me long enough to get through that river?"

"Mmh? Ah, sure," Shin replied sleepily. "Is it already evening?" He sounded so surprised, even Rei couldn't help but to smile through his headache.

"Almost evening," Yuda chuckled. "Don't worry, you're cute while you're sleeping."

Shin's cheeks turned into a subtle shade of pink, but he did gave Yuda a soft, appreciative smile. "Well, as long as you swim quickly, I can hold my breath long enough. I'll try to help swimming, but I don't know if I have enough strength back already to do so."

"Just let me know if you need air, then I try to chase the venomous beetles away long enough so you can catch some breath," Yuda promised.

"We'll have to go now, then," Goh remarked. "It's already getting dark."

After each other, they went into the river, diving before they came at the middle part of it. Even though Rei already seemed a bit angry at himself for getting a headache, Ruka couldn't help but to keep close to him, keeping an eye open for dead beetles like the one that scared Rei last time. The purple-haired angel shot him a quick glance, but then touched his hand for a moment. It was only a short moment, but long enough for Ruka to use his powers and knowing how his beloved felt. Annoyed, yes, but also glad that Ruka protected him like this. That wasn't something Rei usually let him know, since he knew that Ruka could get overly protective easily, but it felt good to the silver-haired angel that Rei actually wanted him to be protective right now.

It felt like it took longer to get across the river than it had last time, but when they finally got there, both Yuda and Ruka got to pull their beloved's out of the water. Gai used a different method, he simply wrapped his arms around Goh's waist and let himself get carried out of the river, complaining that water and cats were a bad combination. Rei coughed softly, while Ruka helped him stand up. Shin tried to stand up too, but his legs still appeared to be too weak to hold him.

"Don't force yourself," Yuda told him gently, before carefully lifting him into his arms.

"Let's walk a bit further, so we're underneath those trees," Goh suggested. "And more importantly, so that we'll be further away from those bugs."

"Yeah, those bugs are bugging me!" Gai grinned, so the rest couldn't help but to smile too.

Some feet away from the river, they sat down underneath a huge weeping-willow. The long branches with a thick layer leaves on them, made it seem almost like a small cabin. The branches almost touched the ground, and Rei couldn't help but to check out the entire tree with more than a bit of admiration. "Can't we plant one of these in the garden of our mansion on earth?"

Ruka chuckled. "Sure, if it's not in front of any window, and you take care of it."

"I will!" Rei exclaimed, like a child begging to get a pet. "I'll search for a small one, but the branches should be almost touching the ground, just like these ones."

"I'm sure you'll find one," Shin replied, smiling softly. "But I think it's not a wise idea to cook underneath, or nearly inside, a tree. So shall we keep it at raw fish for tonight?"

"Sure. They're the last ones we have, but from now on we'll be able to search for fruits again," Yuda replied, taking the fishes out of the bags and sharing them. Without having to cook, dinner only took a couple of minutes.

"Mmh, tastes good," Gai said, with his mouth full.

"Yes, we can see that," Goh remarked, which earned him a fishtail being thrown at his head by a certain blonde angel.

After dinner and the usual agreement of who would take what turn at guard, Rei curled up comfortably against Ruka's shoulder. It was still too early to go to sleep, but his head was still pounding and he still felt a little bit sick. At least Ruka hadn't protested against Rei also being guard tonight. If he'd take the last turn, the purple-haired angel was sure his headache would be gone tomorrow, or at least almost. Shin was, obviously, still too exhausted to take a turn as guard. The blue-haired angel seemed to feel a little guilty about that, but didn't complain. Probably because he knew he physically wouldn't be able to stay awake anyway.

Right now, Goh, Gai and Yuda were cleaning the bags by the river, so they wouldn't smell like fish when they'd keep fruits in it, and Shin leaned against Rei. Despite his own headache, and the urge to curl up on Ruka's lap and sleep for as long as possible, Rei silently wrapped an arm around his friend, feeling Shin relaxing against him, eyes half closed. "Shin? Are you okay?" Rei asked softly.

His friend nodded sleepily. "Just tired. I'd wish I could recover more quickly, it's starting to get a bit awkward to not be able to do anything."

"Awkward?" Ruka asked surprised.

"Yes. I mean, I can't do anything myself, but you guys have to carry me along anyway."

"If you weren't in such a state, Yuda and me would be dead now," Ruka reminded him. "Besides, after what Yuda and me did to all of you, during that fight… There's no way anyone could ever be more of a burden than that." His voice sounded a bit ashamed when he spoke that last line. In response, Rei snuggled tenderly against him.

"No one of us is blaming either of you for anything. Goh and Gai could never hide it if they'd still dislike you, and Rei and me… Well, that's just stating the obvious," Shin reassured him. And after a short silence. "In fact, I'd never thought that, while practically immobilized, I'd still be feeling this safe when Yuda is carrying me. Because I know he'll never leave me again."

"I feel the same about Ruka," Rei replied softly. "I guess that's what love is about, isn't it?" This sort of conversation was one he'd usually only have privately with Shin, and even without the empathic abilities of the silver-haired angel, Rei could sense that Ruka was feeling a bit awkward. "Ruka?"

"Hm?" his beloved angel responded, almost shyly.

"Eh, you don't mind me talking about you, right? I, for one, don't mind you hearing it," Rei said.

"I don't mind at all," Ruka replied with a slightly relieved smile.

"I think Yuda's still a bit shy when it comes to these sort of conversations," Shin remarked.

"He'll get over it," Ruka reassured him. "Besides, you two have been best friends since childhood. It's no more than logical for you two to share your problems and thoughts about these kinds of things."

"Hm," Rei nodded. "Don't you and Yuda do the same thing?"

"Not really. I think we're both just a bit too shy about the subject. It would be nice to, though," the silver-haired angel admitted.

"Just try it sometime, when there's no one else listening along," Shin suggested, moving a bit closer against Rei. Even though they were so close to a desert, it was getting quite chilly here at night. Rei didn't really mind it yet, but he could feel Shin shivering slightly. Well, hopefully Yuda and Goh would get back soon, so Yuda could sit at Shin's other side. That should be enough to keep him warm.

"Shin, are you cold?" Yuda's voice suddenly sounded right behind them. A bit startled, they looked around. "Eh… am I interrupting something?"

"No, we were just chatting a bit," Shin replied quickly. "And… yes, I'm a little cold. Would you mind sitting against me too?" He sounded a bit shy, Rei noticed. But as expected, Yuda immediately sat down with him, carefully leaning against him a bit, while wrapping an arm around the blue-haired angel's thin waist. Letting out a soft sigh, Shin relaxed again, his head still resting onto Rei's shoulder.

"At least tomorrow's travel will be an easy one," Goh remarked, sitting down too, with Gai at his side.

"Yeah, the only dangerous this here was that haunted house, and that's not haunted anymore," Gai replied.

The chatting went on for some time, and Rei felt Shin going limp after only a few minutes. Without looking up, he could hear and feel by the soft and steady sound of his friend's breathing, that he had fallen asleep. Well, that was no surprise. Feeling his own eyes sliding shut too, he allowed himself to cuddle against Ruka until he was completely comfortable. His headache was already lessening, now that he wasn't on the move any longer, but it wasn't anywhere near gone yet. Exhaustedly, he just stopped thinking about anything, and drifted off to sleep within only moments.

Ruka couldn't help but to look at the two angels, both fast asleep. Rei's purple hair was mixed with Shin's blue hair, and they both looked so innocent and frail in their sleep. So cute, he thought, while gently caressing some strands of hair out of Rei's beautiful face. Yuda did the same thing for Shin, at the exact same moment, and they looked at each other. "We're so lucky," Ruka remarked at a quiet tone.

"We definitely are," Yuda agreed, smiling softly. "And I'm so glad Shin seems to be feeling better already."

Ruka nodded, knowing exactly how Yuda felt. "It's just… not right, somehow, when the person you love the most isn't all right."

"I'm sure the same thing goes for best friends," Yuda responded. "Both them and us."

"Yeah." Smiling lovingly, Ruka watched Rei sighing softly and moving a bit. In response, Shin stirred a bit too, to keep leaning comfortably against his friend. It looked so childishly sweet, but yet it made Ruka want to cuddle Rei all night if he could. He realized how possessive and maybe even strange that might sound, so he'd never tell Rei, but he couldn't help but to love Rei even more at these moments. Rei had always been breathtakingly beautiful, especially when he slept, but because of the rarity of moments like this one, Ruka found him so much more breathtaking right now.

After some time of watching their friends sleep, and chatting a bit, they went to sleep. First thing Ruka noticed when he woke up, was that he again was lying on Rei. Ah well, the purple-haired angel had already said he didn't mind that, so he just yawned and cuddled against him softly. "Ruka? Are you awake?" Rei's voice sounded quietly.

"Hm? Yeah." Still a bit sleepy, he opened his eyes, only to see that it was still before sunrise. "Mmh, why are we already awake…" he groaned, burying his face against his beloved's shoulder.

Rei chuckled softly. "Well, I woke up because you pulled at my hair in your sleep." Ruka couldn't help but to mumble a guilty "sorry". "It doesn't matter," Rei replied, with a somewhat amused smile. "But what woke you up?"

"Don't know," Ruka sighed. "Just… I'm a bit tired of traveling, I guess."

"I think we all are," Rei mumbled. "It'd be nice to sleep in a bed again, and have a kitchen available." He yawned. "And to have some spare time."

"Hm. And to fulfill our promise." A bit unsure, he waited for Rei's response, hoping the purple-haired angel wouldn't feel offended by that being one of the first things on Ruka's mind.

To his relieve, he heard his beloved one giggle almost inaudibly. "Yeah, same here. That's another reason why a bed would be nice. And a room with a lock on the door."

Gently, Ruka kissed him. "Only a few more days to go, and we'll be home."

"I can barely wait." Cuddling against him, Rei closed his eyes again. "Mmh, but right now I just want to sleep for a bit longer." Ruka only smiled and wrapped his arms around Rei's thin shoulders. Within moments, they both were back asleep.

* * *

**Short, I know… I was kinda busy buying a new closet for my attic, since the old one kinda collapsed XD**

**Anyway, I'll update soon^^**


	42. Part IV: 19

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

The walk through the forest almost felt like just an ordinary walk. Only some harmless animals around, not a single threat. Rei finally felt a bit relaxed, walking behind the rest, together with Shin. The blue-haired angel had insisted on walking at least some time, though Yuda occasionally looked back at him to be sure he didn't push himself to hard. For that same reason, Rei kept walking right beside him, knowing Shin would feel less overprotected if it were him instead of Yuda.

"Hey, there's that old house!" Gai suddenly remarked loudly, pointing to a spot behind some trees.

"Guess it was only the energy from that evil ghost, that kept it standing," Goh responded.

Rei only stared at the spot where the house had been. Now, it was a complete ruin, the most of it had collapsed, only some parts of the walls still standing. A faint feeling of nausea went through him when he spotted some of the rotten corpses lying underneath all the trash. They looked even worse now. Quickly averting his eyes, he tried to forget that sight. "I'm glad that ghost is gone now."

"Yeah, it was so… mean," Gai responded. "To have killed his own wife like that, just to get that book."

The conversation went on for a while, though Rei didn't really listen. He did notice that Shin didn't say anything either, and he looked at his friend a bit worried. "Shin?"

"Hm?" The blue-haired angel looked back at him in exactly the same worried way.

"Eh…" Rei smiled softly. "Never mind, I was just wondering why you were so quiet."

Shin chuckled. "It's not like you were talking so much yourself."

"The sight of those corpses… made me a feel a bit sick," Rei admitted, knowing Shin wouldn't think of his as weak, because of that. "I mean, we've been in that same room where they died, and it was so scary to realize we would choke to death if we wouldn't be saved in time. It must have been such a horrible death for them."

"Indeed. But we passed out rather soon, remember? So they must have too," Shin commented. "There are worse ways of getting killed." He probably saw by the look on Rei's face that the purple-haired angel was imagining those ways, and quickly added; "But let's not talk about that, okay? At least we got out alive, and finished off the evil spirit."

Rei sighed. "Yeah." For a while, they walked on in silence, until Shin almost tripped. In a reflex, Rei caught him, helping his friend regaining his balance. "Shin? Are you okay?"

"Yes, sorry," Shin replied quickly. "I wasn't watching where I walked."

"If you're too tired, say so," Yuda said, looking worriedly at his beloved one. "It's no problem to carry you."

"I know, but I'm fine. Really," the blue-haired angel tried to convince him. His pale face didn't really help for that, though. Apparently realizing that, he sighed. "It's almost time for lunch anyway, so I can at least keep walking until that."

None of them felt like starting an argument, though both Rei and Yuda made sure to walk side to side with Shin. If he'd fall, then at least they'd be ready to catch him. Still, he made it until lunch, and even helped Rei making a salad from the fruits that grew in this forest. "It's nice to have something else than fish again," Rei sighed.

"Yes, indeed. Though we'll probably have enough from the fruit soon too," Shin commented.

"Yeah, but at least we'll be home in a few days, and we'll be able to go shopping for groceries again." The salad was done, and for some minutes, they just ate and chatted a bit, not really talking about anything specific. Somehow, even though their quest wasn't finished yet, it just felt more relaxed and easy now that they were on their way back. Especially now that Shin was awake. Well, right now he was leaning against Yuda's shoulder with his eyes half-closed, and apparently trying to fight off sleep. Yuda didn't seem to mind at all, one arm wrapped around the smaller angel's shoulders and using his free hand to caress Shin's hair.

Well, they weren't the only ones. Rei had been leaning against Ruka for some minutes now, the taller angel's head resting against his. Even Gai was sitting half on Goh's lap, arguing with his friend about something pointless. Maybe it was just the peaceful atmosphere in this forest, the fact that this was just about the only place on their journey which was safe. At least now it was. Letting out a sigh, Rei kissed Ruka's cheek.

"What was that for?" his beloved one asked with an uncertain smile.

"Is that a complaint?" Rei asked somewhat shyly.

That made Ruka's smile grow a bit. "Not at all. Just a question."

"Well… I just felt like kissing you," Rei mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up. "And since lunch-break is almost over, I thought I should hurry."

"Hm, then won't this be better?" Ruka whispered, before gently placing his hand on Rei's cheek and giving him a long and deep kiss. "You're finally relaxing a bit, right?"

Sometimes, Ruka knew him almost better than he knew himself. "I guess so," he admitted. Still, as long as they hadn't brought the gemstone to Zeus, he wouldn't be able to really feel relaxed, let alone feeling safe. By the time they went on walking again, though, he felt a lot happier. Ruka holding his hand really was a good way to lighten up his mood. Besides, he didn't need to walk next to Shin any longer, since the blue-haired angel was being carried on Yuda's back.

"Still awake?" he asked softly.

"Mmh, barely," Shin sighed, looking at him sleepily. "But at least I've walked for a part of the day."

"Yeah, and considering how much energy you used by saving Ruka and Yuda, it's great that you've already regained so much energy," Rei replied. It really surprised him, since the last time that Shin had used his powers, he'd been asleep for almost a whole week. But then again, that had been when Ruka and Yuda had only just left them, and he probably had been in a less good condition at that time. Shin had gradually learned to cope with the loss of their beloved ones, though Rei himself had gone from trying not to believe it, to completely devastated. Exactly the other way around.

"Rei?" Shin's voice woke him up from his thoughts, and unpleasant memories. "Is something wrong?"

"Eh? No, I was just… lost in thoughts, I guess." Quickly, Rei smiled at him to prevent further questions.

"You sure?" Ruka asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." He saw the slightly hurt look in the silver-haired angel's eyes, and sighed. "We're all tired of traveling, and I guess I'm a little grumpy. Sorry."

"Never mind." Gently, Ruka wrapped his arm around Rei's shoulder. "Is this better?"

Rei only nodded, blushing a bit. Even though it was getting a habit now, it still made him feel special when Ruka touched him so gently. Well, that was part of why he loved him so much. Because he knew that those feelings would last forever. Feeling his cheeks heat up a bit more, he tenderly placed his arm around Ruka's waist.

Smiling softly, Ruka looked down on his beautiful angel. The sudden redness of Rei's cheeks looked so cute on him, especially because Ruka only felt happiness coming from him, no embarrassment at all. Actually, everything looked good on Rei, every smile, every shy glance, even when he was angry he still looked amazing. Though, he had to admit, he always felt glad when he wasn't the person who that anger was directed to.

"Eh, Ruka? Why are you staring at me?" Rei asked suddenly, looking back at him with those dark golden eyes of his.

"Just…" He smiled almost shyly. "I was just thinking how beautiful you are."

That made the smaller angel's cheeks even more red. "T-thanks. You look good too." He did smile brightly though. "Geez, you always manage to lighten up my mood."

"Isn't that one of the main jobs that a boyfriend is supposed to do?"

"Guess so," the purple-haired angel admitted shyly.

"Hey, there's the entrance to the ice cave!" Gai pointed.

"Yippy," Rei couldn't help but to mumble dryly, and Ruka chuckled.

"Then let's hurry though them," Goh suggested. "Then we can rest at the other end of the caves."

"And this time, let's make sure that the ice dragon won't hit anyone," Ruka added to that, remembering how Rei had almost frozen to dead earlier.

"Goh, it's your turn to use a spell, right? If you do that before we're close enough for the dragon to hit us, we'll be able to get through safely. We'll have to be fast though, since it won't have such a strong effect when you're not that close to it," Shin said.

"Sounds like a good idea," Goh agreed.

At a fast pace, they walked on, through the entrance of the cave. It was cold inside, just like it had been the last time. Rei shivered, more at the memory than at the temperature. The coldness that had taken over his body, after the dragon's ice-beam had hit him, had felt so unnatural, so wrong. It still scared him, even if only thinking about it. Taking a deep breath, he forced that memory out of his mind. This time, no one would get hurt.

The dragon, still deadly but beautiful, immediately growled at the angels, as soon as they were approaching the middle of the cave. "Does it remember us?" Gai asked quietly.

"I think so. And I don't think it likes us," Yuda replied, just as quietly. "Goh, can you do the spell now?"

Goh nodded and started casting the spell. Almost immediately, the dragon's growling got more angry and aggressive, like it felt what the angels were trying to do. By the end of the spell, it laid on the ground, seemingly paralyzed.

"We'd better run past it now," Shin remarked. Without spending more time talking, they started running, Shin still on Yuda's back.

Almost there… Running behind the rest, Rei suddenly spotted the dragon moving. Not shooting its ice-beams, but instead it seemed to try and gather strength to wipe them away with its tail. "Hurry!" the purple-haired angel yelled. Just in time, Gai, Goh and Yuda carrying Shin reached the exit of the big cave, running into the safety of the passage to the other end of the cave. Then, the dragon finally made its move.

Rei heard a scream, realizing only moments after, that it had been himself making that noise. "Ruka, watch out!" The dragon's tail came from behind them, Rei barely managing to dodge it by making a jump backwards. Right in front of him, he saw Ruka jumping too. Too late. The big, scaled tail hit him in the back, smashing him against the floor. Immediately, the dragon lifted his tail again, probably to give the final blow at the silver haired-angel. And Ruka just laid there, face down on the ground and completely unmoving.

"No!" Using his wings to make as much speed as possible, he tried the same tactic as he already had used a few times earlier. Practically launching himself at his beloved one, he dragged Ruka out of harm's way. Practically feeling the shockwave of the dragon's tail hitting the hard floor, Rei sped up even more. Ruka hung limply in his arms, and even when Rei landed safely in the hallway, the silver-haired angel just slumped against him.

"R-Ruka?" Feeling himself trembling, Rei sat down, pulling his beloved onto his lap. A small head-wound was visible on the side of Ruka's head, blood dripping slowly from his silver hair. "Yuda, please heal him!"

Gently, Yuda placed his lips on the injury, healing it in a matter of seconds. "Rei? Aren't you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Rei replied. To his own surprise, he had managed to fully dodge the dragon's tail, which was an improvement in comparison with last time.

In his arms, Ruka stirred a bit. "Nng… R-Rei?" he groaned, opening his crimson eyes.

"Ruka? How are you feeling?" the purple-haired angel asked worriedly.

"I'm okay." Slowly, Ruka sat up, looking at him questioningly. "Last thing I remember, though, was that thing hitting me."

"I used my wings to get us both out of there, and Yuda healed your head," Rei told him, smiling softly. "I'm glad you're okay." Ruka just smiled back at him.

"Shall we move on a little further?" Shin suggested. "To that dead-end passage, where we slept last time? It might be safer there."

"Indeed," Yuda nodded. "It shouldn't be too far from where we are now."

Walking closely together, trying to force away the coldness of these caves, they reached the passage which they had already used earlier as a camping spot. "Rei, do you feel like making a salad? Otherwise we'll just eat the fruit like it is," Ruka asked, after they had sat down at the end of the passage, leaning their backs against the walls.

His body felt a bit sore from the unusual exercise from the past few days, and he felt tired. "Hm, if all of you would like a salad, I'll make them," he replied without too much enthusiasm.

"Don't feel obligated to do that," Yuda said softly. "You're obviously tired, and with a good reason."

"Yeah, fruit is tasty no matter how you eat it," Gai agreed.

Rei smiled thankfully, and leaned his head against Ruka's shoulder. Having some trouble keeping his eyes open, he quickly sat back up. Better not fall asleep before dinner. After eating some fruit, though, and agreeing on the fact that this place was safe enough to sleep without having a guard tonight, he gladly rested his head against Ruka's shoulder and allowed his eyes to close. Almost immediately, he felt two strong arms being wrapped around his body, making him feel warm and as safe as possible under the circumstances.

"Rei?" he heard Shin's voice, sounding a bit unsure.

"Hm?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Is it okay if Yuda and I lean against you? Just like last night? Then Goh and Gai can lean against Ruka," Shin asked.

"Okay," Rei agreed, before letting out a long yawn. "Then everyone will be a little warmer."

"That's the idea," Yuda said. Rei felt Shin leaning against him, the blue-haired angel's head resting against his shoulder. Then Yuda leaned against Shin, Rei felt the weight resting against him getting heavier. On his other side, Ruka leaned back against him a bit, so they wouldn't fall over. When everyone had settled down on their spot, Rei felt his friends relaxing, and felt himself starting to drift off to sleep.

After this quest, he'd have enough of travelling for at least some months. Still, this was something he would miss when they'd be back home. Snuggling against each other at night, to feel safe and guarded during the night. Okay, he'd still have Ruka to snuggle against, in more intimate ways even. But this feeling, like a baby-bird sleeping safely against his siblings, that was something they didn't usually have. Not that Rei would ever have the courage to tell anyone about this, he'd feel too embarrassed if anyone would laugh at it.

Letting out a deep sigh, he took both Ruka's and Shin's hand. At least he could enjoy it for now, he thought just before his mind went blank and he fell asleep.

Half asleep himself, Shin felt Rei taking hold of his hand. A bit surprised, he squeezed back, noticing Ruka did the same. Rei just sighed and fell asleep, so he probably only took their hand s to have something to hold onto, unconsciously. Well, whatever the reason was, it didn't bother him, so he only moved his arm a bit so it was more comfortable, but didn't let go of his friend's hand. It reminded him of when they were still kids, and had been roommates.

In those days, they had even slept in the same bed, which had always made them feel safe during the nights, That same feeling Shin got these days with Yuda, but that was different, somehow. Yuda was his beloved one, while Rei was his best friend. They were like brothers, knowing they could always trust each other, and that their relationship would never change. With Yuda, it was more like their relationship was developing all the time, making Shin feel self-conscious sometimes. Of course, it made him feel good to try out new things, kissing and touching each other. But it was nice to have the secure friendship with Rei, not having to try anything new, no need to think about anything. Well, that was just the difference between lovers and friends.

Letting out a soft sigh, he enjoyed the feeling of having those two both at the same time. The relaxed feeling with Rei, the happily exited feeling with Yuda. He felt his red-haired beloved one falling asleep already, Yuda sat unmoving and slumped against Shin's side. Sleepily, the blue-haired angel turned his head a bit to look at his angel. He couldn't repress a faint but adored smile, though, at the sight of Yuda's beautiful face so childishly innocent in his sleep. His long eyelashes almost touched his cheeks, though it didn't stop him from looking strong and manly.

Looking at the rest of his friends, he saw that Goh and Gai were already asleep too. Ruka rested with his head leaning against Rei's, his eyes half closed, and apparently lost in thoughts. Or maybe he was just staring at some random spot in the darkness, Shin couldn't tell which it was. So he decided to just let him be.

"Shin?" Ruka suddenly asked, softly so he wouldn't wake up their friends.

"Hm?" Shin responded.

"Did Rei really not get hit by that dragon's tail? I mean, he didn't say anything about it, but… I'm scared that he'll hide those things from me, to not make me worry over him," Ruka sounded a bit embarrassed.

"He said he was all right, and he doesn't seem hurt in any way," Shin replied, smiling reassuringly.

Ruka sighed. "I'm glad about that. I was worrying about it, since he suddenly seems so tired."

"I guess he just feels warm and cozy, sleeping like this," Shin remarked. "When we kids, we used to sleep in the same bed. And he snuggled against me every night, to feel safe. Whenever I wasn't home, for whatever reason, he always looked tired when I came back, like he barely slept." He fell silent for a moment, wondering briefly if he should tell Ruka this. Well, why not, really. "When you and Yuda were… gone… he also seemed tired. More than just normal tired, but I think he didn't sleep that well, all alone."

"Hm, I noticed that too," Ruka admitted, gently stoking Rei's long hair. "In Heaven, if I came to his house really late, he usually had already gone to bed. He does sleep, but he somehow looks… vulnerable, when he's all alone in the dark. Maybe he's just the type of person who wants to hold or be held by someone, while he sleeps.

"I'm also the type of person who'll wake up when people are talking with me in between them," Rei's soft, drowsy voice sounded. Ruka's cheeks went a bit red.

"S-sorry," Shin mumbled. "We didn't mean to gossip about you."

Rei smiled faintly, opening his eyes a bit. "I know. And it's the truth, I like to have someone I trust lying or sitting against me while I sleep. It makes me feel guarded and… well, it prevents me from feeling lonely, sometimes." He yawned, and his eyes dropped closed again. "But… could you please let me sleep now? I'm tired. And Shin, you're not supposed to stay up late, your body is still recovering from using up so much energy."

Shin couldn't help but to smile. "Okay, we'll be quiet and go to sleep."

"Good boy," Rei giggled, half asleep already. Then, his face relaxed in sleep again.

Gently, Ruka kissed the purple-haired angel's cheek, and then gave Shin a sleepy smile. "Thanks for the talk," he whispered.

Shin just smiled back, and then closed his eyes. Within moments, he drifted off to sleep.

Pretending to be asleep, Gai listened to their conversation, while at the same time listening to Goh's deep, soft breathing. Although he was happy for his friends to have found each other in such ways, he did feel a little jealous. Not that much at their friendship, he knew he had that too, but more at the relationship between Rei and Ruka, and Yuda and Shin. He'd love to be able to snuggle up against Goh every night, but the brunette angel wouldn't take him seriously anyway. Which was entirely Gai's own fault.

For so long, he had seen Goh as an older brother, holding onto him and making fun with him. But, he had to admit, since he saw their four friends turning into couples, he had started to notice a change in his own feelings too. Okay, he still loved joking around, but… it would be nice to have someone to snuggle up against at night, not to joke but just to seek comfort and warmth. Especially if that person would be Goh.

But he knew two things for sure. One, that Goh probably would think that he was just kidding if he'd told the brunette that. And two, he'd probably get shy and start joking about it himself, to prevent himself from feeling awkward. Letting out a slightly annoyed sigh, he snuggled closer against Goh, hoping that the taller angel would unconsciously wrap an arm around his shoulders. Goh didn't, he just sighed softly.

"Goh?" He didn't really want to wake his friend, who was definitely tired due to casting that spell today. But he'd never get anywhere if he wouldn't take the first step, right? "Oi, Goh!"

"Mmh… Gai?" Goh groaned. "It's not morning yet, right?"

"No, just…" He swallowed, gathering all his courage. "It's freezing here, so could you… h-hold me, please?" Geez, how many times had he teased Rei when the purple-haired angel blushed? He felt pretty sure that right now, he looked like a tomato himself.

Goh looked at him a bit surprised, and really sleepy. "Eh… sure." Gently, he wrapped an arm around Gai's shoulders. "Hm, you are a bit cold."

Yeah, that's called cold sweat from anxiety; Gai thought. "Well, it's warm now. Goodnight."

A soft smile. "Goodnight." Gai felt Goh relaxing again, his eyes slipping shut. Within moments, the taller angel was asleep again, Gai following not too long after him.

Feeling warm and cozy, Rei woke up next morning. He felt the coldness around him, but due to his friends being so closely against him, it didn't make him feel uncomfortable. Letting out a soft sigh, he opened his eyes a bit. Shin was still fast asleep against him, Yuda also still sleeping with his head against Shin's. On Rei's other side, Ruka sat slumped against him, fast asleep. Goh and Gai weren't awake yet either, Goh leaning against Ruka's side and having an arm wrapped around Gai's shoulders. Rei couldn't help but to smile at that, seeing how rare this kind of sight was.

Letting out another sigh, which ended as a yawn, he relaxed against Ruka again, snuggling against the taller angel's warm body. His angel unconsciously tightened his grip on Rei's hand. Luckily, though, he didn't wake up. Rei was pretty sure it was still too early to get traveling again. Besides, he had a bit of a headache again, and sleeping like this was so comfortable. The longer it would last, the better.

The next time he woke up, it was because the silver-haired angel was giving him a series of soft feathery kisses on his throat, working his way up to Rei's lips. Just as the smaller angel opened his eyes, Ruka got to his lips, and captured them in a long, deep kiss. "Mmh," Rei sighed, leaning into his beloved one.

After they finally broke their kiss, Ruka looked at him almost shyly. "That… wasn't too much?"

Rei smiled happily. "Not at all. That was… so good." Letting out a deep sigh, he sat up, almost causing Shin to drop down onto his lap. Quickly, Rei caught his friend. "Oi, Shin?"

"Mmh? Is it morning already?" the blue-haired angel groaned. "But it's so dark."

"Yes," Ruka told him. "But we're still inside that cave, remember?"

"Ah, yeah." Yawning, Shin sat up, waking up Yuda with that movement. "That also explains why it's so cold."

"You cold?" Immediately, Yuda wrapped his arms tightly around the blue-haired angel. Though Shin didn't pull away, Rei saw the slight embarrassment in his eyes.

"Yuda, I'm fine. I'm not that weak that I can't handle some low temperatures," Shin said softly, obviously trying not to hurt his beloved one's feelings.

"I know. But you're not back to full health yet, so I don't want you to risk catching a cold," Yuda explained, before softly kissing Shin's lips. The smaller angel's cheeks immediately turned into the same color as Yuda's hair.

Rei smiled while looking at them, reminded of how he and Ruka had been the same way when they were at the beginning of their relationship. The silver-haired angel gently wrapped his arms around Rei's small waist, pulling him closer. "I hope we'll get over that stormy mountain without nearly falling into a ravine again."

"Yeah, me too." Last time, he had been so scared when Shin had fallen, and he had been unable to get them both back up on the path. If Ruka hadn't caught them… He didn't really want to end that thought. "At least we know what to expect this time."

"That's a plus," Ruka agreed, before letting go of him to wake up Goh and Gai. "Let's have breakfast quickly. The sooner we'll be out of this cold, the better."

* * *

**They're nearly back home. Yay! And due to this chapter, I finally know what'll be one of the main subjects in the sequel ;)**

**I'll update soon^^**


	43. Part IV: 20

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

Out of the caves, the wind was already strong enough to cut their breaths. "Let's hurry!" Yuda said, carrying Shin on his back. This time, they walked over the mountain path more carefully than last time. It was freezing could, though, and when they were finally at the caves leading them away from the mountain, Rei felt himself shivering. Nearly stumbling, he grabbed Ruka's hand. "W-walk a bit closer to m-me," he asked, his voice trembling nearly as much as his body.

Worriedly, Ruka looked at him. "Rei? What's wrong? It's not that cold." He did put his arm around Rei's small shoulder's, though, pulling him close while walking.

Not that cold? But to him, it felt like it was freezing. "Mmh… I guess I'm just tired." But he hadn't done anything overexerting yesterday, right? Well, except for saving Ruka from that dragon, but that couldn't still be making him tired, after a full night's sleep.

"You're pale."

"I'm fine." Luckily, Ruka knew better than to argue with him when he was feeling like this. Silently, they followed their friends into the cave. It was remotely warmer there, sheltered from the cold wind, and slowly, the trembling stopped. Letting out a somewhat relieved sigh, Rei looked around. Still dark in here, and the memories of what had happened here would probably never fade, but he felt almost happy to see this place. After all, it meant they were nearly back home.

"Shall we eat some lunch first?" Gai suggested. "It's nearly noon, and I'm hungry."

No one disagreed, so they sat down by the wall. Even though it was a short lunch, Rei still appreciated the chance to sit down for a few minutes. The other's seemed a lot less tired, more eager to go on than to take a longer break than absolutely necessary. So Rei didn't complain when they walked on, not wanting to seem weak. When they were nearly at the end of the caves, though, Ruka finally noticed his unusual drowsiness.

"Shall we make the rest of the trip tomorrow?" the silver-haired angel suggested. "It'll be a lot quicker by flying, just like the last time, but…" He shot a somewhat uncertain glance at Rei. "I don't think… we'll make that today."

Rei smiled at him gratefully, at least now it didn't seem like it was only him who was too tired to go on.

"Then we'd better stay here," Goh decided. "It's safer here that outside in the open."

"Okay." Gently, Ruka helped Rei to sit down, while Yuda carefully let Shin climb off his back. The blue-haired angel sat down next to Rei immediately, looking at him slightly concerned. "Rei? You're a bit pale, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Rei responded with a reassuring smile. "How about you?"

"I'm fine too," Shin replied, not seeming entirely convinced that Rei was telling the truth. Either way, he was polite enough not to keep asking about it, and instead just started chatting with him about random subjects. After some time, though, the blue-haired angel gradually became more and more quiet, and he drifted off to sleep only minutes after dinner, his head resting on Rei's shoulder.

"Is he sleeping?" Ruka asked, sitting on the other side of the purple-haired angel.

"Yeah. No wonder, though. He still seems tired," Rei sighed.

"Well, at least he's getting better quickly," Yuda commented, gently stroking some strands of hair away from Shin's slightly pale face. Ruka couldn't help but to notice, though, that Rei's beautiful face was almost as pale.

"Rei? Why don't you go to sleep too? You look exhausted." He wasn't really that worried, though, until Rei actually agreed with him without any argument, silently closing his eyes. "Hey, what's wrong? Do you feel sick or anything?"

"No," his beloved one replied immediately. "Just… tired and a bit cold." Letting out a sigh, he cuddled closer against Shin. "I'll be fine after a nice night of sleep, I'm sure."

"Well, if you say so." Not entirely convinced, Ruka started caressing Rei's long hair. "Sleep well."

"Thanks. You too."

Next morning, though, he still didn't feel too good. Not really tired or sick, but he still felt a bit off. Well, hopefully it would wear off during the day, when he would be awake a bit longer. After breakfast, he actually did feel a little bit better, and a few minutes later, they left the caves. Rei had insisted on carrying Shin and Yuda again, the red-haired angel gently holding Shin, to help him not to accidentally let go of Rei's hand.

"Rei? Your trembling a little, are you sure you're okay?" Yuda asked.

No, he wasn't sure at all. But if he didn't fly, they'd have to walk, since Ruka couldn't carry five persons for so long. That would mean that the end of their journey would take days, instead of the one day it would take if they'd fly a bit fast. "I'll be fine, we're nearly home anyway," he replied, giving Yuda a reassuring smile.

"Let's go then," Ruka said, flying off. Quickly, Rei followed, enjoying the cool wind onto his slightly flushed face. It didn't do much good for the shivering, but it was manageable as long as he didn't think too much about it. When they got to the caves with the portal in them, they both gained as much speed as they could, without losing control. The seal barely affected him, though he did feel himself slowing down a bit, momentarily, on their way back up.

"Hey, look at the villagers!" Gai suddenly pointed. Indeed, instead of being scared in their houses, they now walked around, doing groceries and stuff. "Guess they finally realized it's safe again."

"It seems a lot more lively like this," Ruka remarked, a bit of guilt sounding in his voice. After all, it had been the demons who had been working for him and Yuda, who had scared the villagers that much to begin with.

"Let's hurry, we're nearly home," Rei swiftly changed the subject, hoping to distract his beloved one. He felt so tired, though, that 'nearly' seemed to last for a thousand miles, instead of just a few. Still, he managed to make it without letting it show to his friends, especially Yuda and Shin. Even though he hadn't been in any danger off letting them fall yet, he didn't want to make the red-haired angel even more stressed. Besides, he should be able to fly those last few minutes back home, right?

Well, he managed to make it, but Yuda had to catch him after they landed, to prevent him from dropping onto the ground. "Rei?"

"Ouch…" Why was his head suddenly hurting? "Eh… I'm fine, sorry." Slowly he regained his balance.

"Are you sure?" Ruka asked, gently taking the smaller angel's hand.

"Yeah, only tired. Let's go in, okay? I'll be okay once I've sat down for a while."

The mansion felt strangely cold and empty, like all homes did when they had been left unoccupied for a longer amount of time. Still, Rei immediately walked to the living room and practically dropped down on the couch. Someone sat down next to him, he wasn't surprised to see that it was Shin. The blue-haired angel caught him looking, and gave him a tired smile. "Finally home."

"Yeah," Rei sighed, leaning against the back of the couch. "I feel like I could sleep for days."

"Zeus will probably summon us tomorrow," Ruka responded, standing next to Rei. "At least we'll have the rest of the day and a night to rest."

"Yeah," Tiredly, Rei leaned his head on Shin's shoulder. "Mmh… I think I'll rest now, though."

"Got something to do tonight?" Ruka chuckled.

A somewhat shy smirk appeared on Rei's face. "According to a certain promise, Ruka, you'll have exactly the same occupation." From the corner of his eyes, he saw Ruka's face turning as red as his eyes were. Well, his own face had probably taken on the color of a tomato as well. Though he felt somewhat anxious about the coming evening, he could barely wait.

Suddenly, he did feel a bit worried, though. What if it'd feel awkward? What if he'd become too self-conscious to enjoy it? What if Ruka wouldn't like it? Somewhere deep inside, he knew Ruka would make sure any way possible, that it'd be an amazing experience for Rei, but the silver-haired angel was still a virgin himself. What if Rei wouldn't be able to live up to his expectations? Letting out a sigh, he tried to push those thoughts away, but was suddenly startled by a soft hand on his shoulder.

"You… don't have to worry about those things," Ruka told him softly, reading the smaller angel's emotions. "I know it'll be amazing. Because it'll be with you."

At those words, Rei felt a relieved smile appearing on his face. Sometimes, it really were a good thing to have a boyfriend who had the ability to read your mind. "Thanks," he whispered. Partially due to his gift of empathy, Ruka always knew what to say. Although the silver-haired angel knew him so well, Rei was pretty sure he'd be as good as able to read his mind even without using his gift. Either way, he gratefully stood up and gave Ruka a long, deep kiss on his mouth.

"I'm going to my room to sleep a bit. Could you please wake me up around four o' clock, so I can go buy some groceries? Then I can finally cook something again."

"I'll go with you," Ruka promised, just before Gai loudly ran into the room, dragging Kira and Maya along with him.

"Look who I found in the backyard!" the small blonde practically yelled, letting go of Maya's hand so that the small red-head could welcome the Saint Beasts. While his little brother gave everyone a overjoyed hug, Kira just stood a few feet away from Gai. Though he acted as usual, pretending not to care, even Rei could see how relieved and happy he was that the six of them had returned to their earth home.

In the end, Rei was only able to get some sleep about an hour later, since the two half-angels insisted on making lunch for them. Well, it had been mainly Maya who came up with the idea, but Kira immediately helped. Though they couldn't make anything but sandwiches, it was a nice lunch and a good time to fill in the two about what had happened on their quest. Rei saw the shocked looks on Maya and Kira's faces when Goh told them about what had happened at the mountain where they had gotten the gemstone. Still, the six of them made sure to also tell good things about the places they had traveled through, even if that weren't too many occasions, not to scare the two half-angels too much.

Either way, when Rei had finally made it to his bed, he practically collapsed onto it, not even taking the effort of getting underneath the covers. Which was a good thing for his bed, probably, since he hadn't bothered to take off his shoes either. Nearly dozing off already, he heard the door of his room opening and sleepily opened his eyes to look who or what had caused it. A bit surprised, he saw the small red-haired half-angel standing in the doorway, seemingly a bit shy.

"Maya? Is anything the matter?" he asked friendly, while sitting up.

"Not really. Just… I wanted to let you know that even though my brother acts like he barely cares, he's been worrying about all six of you the entire time you were gone. I know he won't admit it, so I thought it'd be a good idea to tell you, so you could tell it to the others. I couldn't, because I can't really say it while my brother is in the same room."

Rei couldn't help but to chuckle softly. "We know, Maya. Though he tries to hide it, it's still visible in his eyes." Still, it felt good to know that the blonde half-angel had been worried about all of them, including Rei himself. So he didn't dislike Rei as much as he acted like, even though the purple-haired angel still didn't think he'd ever see Kira as a friend. Or as a not-annoying person. Well, at least they didn't really dislike each other any longer.

"So… eh, Ruka and You are like… together now?"

A bit surprised, Rei looked at him. "Eh, yes. And so are Yuda and Shin. Did Gai tell you?"

The small half-angel shook his head. "He dragged me in a bit earlier than Kira, so I kinda saw… you two kissing."

"Kira didn't see, right?" Rei immediately asked.

Maya grinned. "No. And I won't tell him, don't worry. Even though he's my brother and I love him, I know how… rude he can be."

More like 'mean', Rei thought, but he understood Maya's unconditional love for his older brother. So deciding to end that subject, he let himself drop back down onto his bed. "Either way, thanks for telling me that he does care."

The small red-head smiled. "Okay. Sleep well."

"Thanks," Rei mumbled, drifting off to sleep before Maya had even closed the door behind himself.

He dreamed about Ruka, mainly about them flying in Heaven's skies. It was a pretty nice dream, though, full of happiness and fun. When he woke up to as soft kiss onto his lips, the happy feeling stayed. The headache was new, though. "Rei? Are you all right?" the silver-haired angel asked worriedly. "If you don't feel well enough tonight, we don't have to…"

"I'm fine, we're going to do it," Rei immediately replied. "After waiting for so long, I just can't wait any longer."

Ruka's cheeks turned a bit red at that. "Eh… should I see that as a good thing?"

"It was a compliment, sort off," Rei chuckled. "I just want to be so intimate with you."

Ruka smiled somewhat shyly. "Okay. We'll lock the door, right?"

"Of course," the smaller angel immediately agreed. "If someone would walk in on us, I wouldn't live through the embarrassment."

Ruka's smile widened. "Okay. Let's go to the supermarket now, that's why I came to wake you up."

"Okay." Slowly, Rei sat up, ignoring his pounding head. "Will you please carry some of the bags?"

"Why else would I come with you? To watch you carry it all by yourself?"

Indeed, Ruka would always insist on helping him out. "I'll carry some of them too, though," the purple-haired angel told him.

"But…"

"I won't watch you carrying them all by yourself either," Rei interrupted him, having foreseen that Ruka would act so protective again. "I'm tired, but you're tired too."

Ruka grinned at him, and then softly kissed him again. "You know me too well, sometimes. Either way, if it's too heavy, I'll carry them."

None of the groceries were really heavy, so they came back from the supermarket, both carrying two full plastic bags. Walking around in the fresh air had made Rei's headache lessen a bit, and Ruka finally stopped giving him concerned glances every few minutes. Instead, the silver-haired angel had been getting more and more quiet himself, throughout their walk. "Ruka? Is something wrong?" Rei asked worriedly.

"Not really," Ruka replied, giving him and apologetic smile. "It's just… Well, I'm just thinking about tonight. I'm so scared of accidentally hurting you."

"You won't. Please, Ruka, if you keep worrying over me like that, then we'll never get any further than kissing." Careful to keep his voice down, Rei took a step closer towards his beloved one. This wasn't a conversation that he'd like random people on the streets to hear. "I'm not made of glass, you can be a bit rough with me."

"But I don't want it to be a painful experience for you."

Rei sighed, a bit embarrassed with the subject. "It'll hurt. I know that. But I also know it'll be worth it. So stop worrying."

Letting out a sigh, Ruka leaned over and kissed him. "Just… if it's hurting too much… don't hesitate to tell me to stop. If I know you won't let me go too far, I'll stop worrying. Okay?"

"I won't let you go too far," Rei promised softly. "Now let's drop the subject, we're nearly back home."

Shin offered his help in making dinner, so Ruka left to train outside with Yuda, leaving the blue-haired angel in the kitchen with Rei. Together, they started chopping up some carrots, but there hung a somewhat awkward silence between the two of them. "Shin? You're so quiet, did I do something wrong?" Rei asked unsure.

"No!" Shin immediately replied. "Nothing like that. Just…" He let out a sigh. "Well, I was just wondering…"

"Not about that too, please," Rei groaned. "Ruka kept asking me if it was really okay the whole time we were shopping. I'm honestly going to chicken out if I keep being forced to think about it."

Seemingly a bit taken aback, his friend stared at the carrots. "Sorry. Never mind."

"Shin…" Feeling a bit guilty, Rei placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "What is it?"

"Well… I just… When you and Ruka have done… Could you please give me some advice? I don't even dare to bring up the subject when I'm talking to Yuda."

"Just… when the mood is right, ask him how he feels about it. He loves you, so he won't make you feel embarrassed. You know that, right?"

"I know," Shin admitted. "Just… what if he doesn't want to yet?"

"He'll have a good reason. He might just be worried about you. But you really need to talk about this to him, not to me. I don't know how he feels."

During dinner, of course, nothing more was said about the subject. After dinner, Maya insisted on watching a movie on television together. Rei barely followed the storyline, his mind being somewhere entirely different. Ruka sat next to him, one arm wrapped around Rei's shoulders, glancing at the purple-haired angel every now and then. Somehow, Rei couldn't wait until it was time for bed. But at the same time, he felt himself getting more and more nervous.

* * *

***evil grin* Yes, you'll have to wait another week until Rei and Ruka will finally get their intimate time together ;P Just a warning, I don't have any experience in writing lemons, so it probably won't be worth the wait… I'm going to try my best at it, though^^**


	44. Part V: 1

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

**Warning: contains lemon… (probably a badly written one...)**

* * *

Finally, the movie was over. Not a moment too soon, as Rei had all but fallen asleep against Ruka. Considering their plan for tonight, which he wouldn't reschedule for anything, that wouldn't be a good thing. Mainly because Ruka had became increasingly tensed up, shooting worried glances at the purple-haired angel every few minutes. Though Rei disliked that particular figure of speak, he was getting scared that his beloved one would chicken out of it. Not that Ruka seemed particularly unsure about himself, but he did seem terrified of doing the smaller angel any harm.

Not that Rei didn't understand such worries, this would be their first experience at this after all. It was only the fact that Ruka was acting overly protective of him again, which was getting onto his nerves. And he knew for sure, that if he would have drifted off to sleep during the past few hours, Ruka would have been too concerned about his health to wake him up again, now that they could finally rest from their quest. Rei also knew how stupid he'd feel when he'd wake up the next morning, knowing they'd have to plan it for another night. He wasn't too sure he'd live through the nervousness of having to go through another one of those conversations.

"Rei? Are you tired?" Ruka asked softly, while caressing his beloved one's hair. His beautiful crimson eyes were showing some stress, and a bit of worry.

"Of course I'm tired, but… not too tired," Rei replied even softer, before slowly kissing Ruka's lips. He felt the silver-haired angel taking a somewhat shaky sigh. "Let's go to our room," he whispered in the taller angel's ear, after gently breaking their kiss.

Now, the look in Ruka's eyes turned almost like a deer's look into the headlights of an upcoming car. "Okay," he answered a bit breathless. He did stand up, though, pulling Rei along with him. After saying goodnight to the others, and Rei getting a short smile from Shin, they walked to Rei's bedroom. When the door closed behind him, Rei immediately locked it, before he would forget.

Before he could do as much as turning back to Ruka, the silver-haired angel wrapped his arms around him from the back, giving him a long and tender kiss on his neck. Rei felt his breath escaping in a short gasp when Ruka suddenly started nibbling at his throat. Slowly, he moved up to Rei's earlobe his lips caressing the that tender piece of flesh. "Ruka…" Rei felt himself leaning more and more into his beloved one's body, his eyes half closed. When Ruka suddenly took a step back, the purple-haired angel almost collapsed. Having seen that coming, Ruka caught him and gently carried him to the bed.

"Rei? Are you still okay?" Ruka asked softly.

"Yeah… Go one, please." Rei couldn't suppress a faint moan when his beloved one gave him another nibble at his neck and then started to undress him. Almost dizzily from excitement, Rei did the same thing for Ruka, leaving both of them naked on the bed, their clothes spread over the floor. The smaller angel couldn't help but to gently trace the muscles of his beloved's chest with his hand, feeling how soft and warm Ruka's skin was. The taller angel took it a bit further, and planted a trail of kisses over Rei's upper body.

The purple-haired angel didn't even bother to stop himself from letting out a long moan. "Ah… aah. Ruka… faster. T-take me…" He felt his cheeks heating up at that request, his eyes averted. Luckily, his beloved one just ended his trail of kisses, and gently turned the smaller angel onto his stomach.

"Rei? This'll hurt a bit," he warned in a whisper.

"Mmh…" Indeed, he let out a short gasp when Ruka started prepping him. "R-Ruka?" Not completely sure what he wanted to ask. He already knew Ruka would be gently, and wouldn't go any further than Rei wanted him to. Honestly, his only worry was… "Don't… go too easy on me. I mean… I want the full experience."

"I know. But I'll still be as gentle as possible," Ruka replied in a whisper.

Rei let out another moan, unable to reply. Suddenly, he felt his beloved one moving again, whispering in his ear that this wouldn't be pleasant at first. A soft cry escaped Rei's lips when Ruka entered him, but the pain only got through to him for mere moments. Ruka's touch, his movements… they had never felt so good to him before. His entire body was yearning for more, so eager to have all of him. "H-harder, please," he all but begged. "Nng…"

At the same moment, Ruka pushed his hands underneath Rei's body, touching him in that one spot only Ruka was allowed to touch in such a way. Another cry escaped the purple-haired angel, this time purely from pleasure. Any thoughts still on his mind disappeared, his entire being concentrated on his beloved one. Pressure seemed to be building up in a certain area, almost too much to bear.

"Aah… Rei…" The sound of Ruka moaning his name was what finally pushed him over the edge. Letting out a long, deep moan, he felt his body jerking when he came, which also pushed Ruka over the edge. For a moment, a moment that felt like forever, Rei's mind went blank with pleasure. Then, almost to his disappointment, it was over, Ruka's body collapsing onto his, while both angels tried their best to catch their breath.

After some moments, Rei felt Ruka pulling out of him, making him tense in pain. Oh, that was something he'd still be feeling tomorrow. "Rei?" Ruka sounded exhausted, but satisfied. "Are you okay?"

"That… that was amazing…" the smaller angel sighed. "My… my behind hurts a bit… but it was definitely worth it."

"Good," Ruka sighed relieved, but not laying back down. "And… it was amazing indeed. I don't think I ever felt better." A short silence. "We're going to have to change the bed's sheets, though. And we might want to wash ourselves."

"Mmh… Can't move right now. Could you change the sheets? We can take a shower in the morning, right?" Rei mumbled, feeling way too tired and cozy to stand up.

Ruka sighed. "Sounds fine."

Somehow, he managed to change the bed-sheets without Rei having to move, just dumping the dirty ones onto the floor. By the time he was done, Rei felt himself falling asleep already. Still, when his lover finally laid down with him, he snuggled as tightly against him as possible. Within moments, both of them had drifted off to sleep.

The first thing that came on Ruka's mind, that morning when he woke, was Rei. Quickly he sat up and looked at the beautiful purple-haired angel. Still deep asleep, stretched out onto his side with one arm underneath his head and the other pressed loosely against his chest, he seemed to be all right. A bit pale, maybe, but he'd already been a bit paler than usual since a few days ago. It was probably just the stress from traveling. Well, at least Ruka hoped so. If Rei would be too exhausted from… last night's occupation, he'd feel so guilty.

Suddenly, the smaller angel sighed deeply and stirred, grabbing some strands of Ruka's long hair and pulled at it. "Ouch…" He couldn't suppress a small groan from pain. "Rei, that hurts."

"Mmh… cold," his lover mumbled, pulling at Ruka's hair again. "Come closer."

"Are you awake?" Ruka asked unsure, lying back down and wrapping his arms around Rei's body, reminding him that they were both still undressed.

"Maybe…" Rei yawned. "But… so tired…" His eyes still closed, he gave the silver-haired angel a soft kiss onto his lips. "Wanna sleep for a little while longer."

"Zeus is going to summon us today, so we probably have to take a shower and get dressed soon," Ruka remarked. "If I go first, you can sleep for another ten minutes."

"Okay," Rei sighed, still not opening his eyes or making big movements.

"Are you still sore?" Ruka asked worriedly.

"Hm, a little," his lover admitted. "But I also have a pretty bad headache since yesterday."

"Maybe we shouldn't have…" Ruka started, immediately feeling guilty.

"Sssh, don't do that again," Rei interrupted him, finally opening his eyes to look at his beloved one. Those big, dark golden orbs were somewhat hazy, but probably just from sleep. "I'm glad we did it. The first time is always the scariest, so I'm happy to be past that point now." His eyes slid shut again and he sighed. "I think I'm just still drained from all that happened, the past few months. But I'll be fine, so please stop worrying."

"I'm officially your boyfriend now, so I have to worry about you."

"Not if it causes you stress while you're also tired from traveling for weeks," Rei replied softly. "I'm your boyfriend too, so then I'm allowed to be protective too."

Letting out a soft chuckle, Ruka kissed him again. "Okay, I understand." Reluctantly, he let go of his beloved one and got out of bed. "I'll wake you up when the bathroom is free again." Rei only nodded, while Ruka placed the sheets back over him.

When he came back from the shower, Rei still laid asleep in exactly the same position as earlier. "Rei?" Gently, he shook at his beloved one's shoulder. "Wake up, it's your turn to take a shower."

"Mmh?" Sleepily, the purple-haired angel opened his eyes. "Ah, yes. I'll hurry." Slowly, he sat up. "Would you mind waiting for me?"

"Sure, I'll wait here," Ruka promised. Rei smiled at him, and grabbed some clothes before leaving to the bathroom.

* * *

**Short… I know, sorry. But I've been busy this week, and I'm going on vacation next Friday… so I won't be able to update next week *hides behind her laptop* I'll update as soon as I can, though!**

**Either way, I hope you all liked this chapter, even the lemon part^^**


	45. Part V: 2

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters.

Please R&R^^

* * *

A bit impatiently, Ruka waited for Rei. It might be only his conscience telling him to worry, due to what they had done last night, but he couldn't help but to worry, thinking about how exhausted and sore the purple-haired angel had seemed. Still, to follow him would seem overly protective, and besides, Rei had asked him specifically to wait here for him. So Ruka kept leaning against the window's frame, watching the forest outside awakening. It didn't manage to distract him from his thoughts completely, but at least it helped a little bit.

"Eh, Ruka?" Rei's soft voice suddenly sounded right behind him. Almost startled, the silver-haired angel turned around, his crimson eyes meeting the beautiful golden eyes of his beloved one. A bit surprised, Rei looked at him. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing, really." Ruka smiled softly. "Just waiting for you."

"Okay." Rei smiled back at him. "Then, shall we go downstairs to get some breakfast? The others are probably already in the dining room." Gently, he kissed the taller angel's lips. "Please, don't tell anyone yet about what we did last night. I really want to tell Shin privately, if that's okay."

"Of course," Ruka replied. Together, they walked off the stairs, Rei holding onto Ruka's shoulder to steady himself. "Still having a headache?"

"Yes," Rei admitted. "It's not that bad. Just… painful."

"If I can help, say so," Ruka whispered quickly, before opening the door to the dining-room.

Rei tried his best to act as normal as possible. Still, he noticed the slightly worried look Shin gave him, and smiled softly at the blue-haired angel. He kept giving him unsure glances, though, so when no one paid any attention, he quickly leaned over to his friend. "I'll tell you later," he whispered, hoping it was hearable enough to understand. Shin gave him an almost unnoticeable nod, meaning he had understood it. After breakfast, though, he practically dragged Rei out of the dining room and to the backyard.

"So… you did it?" he asked, suddenly shy. "Did… it hurt?"

"Eh, a l-little." Rei felt his cheeks heating up, talking about this subject. "But… it also felt… really good."

Shin bit his lower lip, apparently feeling too awkward to ask anything else. "Eh…" After a long silence. "You do look a bit pale, though."

"I haven't been feeling too well since yesterday," Rei admitted. "It doesn't have anything to do with… last night… But I think it's just the constant stress from the past months that's catching up with me." Tiredly, he leaned against the wall. "My head is killing me, though." Another uncomfortable silence. "Eh… about last night, you don't have to be shy to ask about it. You're my best friend, that's why I wanted to tell you in the first place." And by the fact that Shin had done something so uncharacteristically as to drag him along to the backyard as soon as he could, Rei could tell that his friend was curious and slightly worried.

"I don't really know what to ask," Shin admitted, staring at the ground. "I mean, my relationship with Yuda isn't even close to that point yet, so there's no use in asking advise."

"But you don't have to do everything in exactly the same pace as me and Ruka," Rei reminded him. "It helps to just drop the subject at a good moment. Not by saying it literarily, but just… giving a hint. I mean, with me and Ruka, I promised him that I'd be completely his as soon as we'd be done with the quest. He took the hint, so I knew he was ready for it too."

"That's an idea." Shin sighed. "But what if Yuda pretends not to understand what I mean? What if he… doesn't want to?"

"Then he's just not ready for it yet," Rei replied. For a moment, he looked at Shin. The blue-haired angel didn't look back, and he had an almost scared look in his eyes. "But… you should know for sure that you're ready for it too. When I made that promise to Ruka, I felt scared but ready, so by the time we did it I was completely sure I wanted it. If you're too scared, it'll never be as special as it should be."

"I know," Shin sighed. "But then I'm scared that I'm going too slow for Yuda."

"Shin." Gently, Rei placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's not a quest or a job that must be done exactly right. It's love."

"I'm thinking too difficult again," Shin admitted softly. "But… I really love Yuda, and I want him to be happy."

"You know he loves you too, so as long as you're with him, he'll be happy anyway." He heard the back-door opening, and quickly hinted Shin to drop the subject. Just in time, since of course it were the two persons who they'd been talking about.

"We've been summoned by Zeus, we should go now," Yuda told them.

"Ah, okay." With some effort, Rei stepped away from the wall, feeling himself trembling for just a moment. "Ouch, my head." Letting out an annoyed sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair. Almost immediately, though, Ruka had stepped forward and placed his arm around Rei's shoulders to steady him. Grateful, the purple-haired angel took a moment to wait until the headache had lessened a bit. As long as he didn't make any sudden movements, it'd be bearable.

"Rei?" Ruka asked softly. "After we get back here, maybe you should lie down for a while." Worriedly, he looked at the smaller angel.

"You're probably right," Rei admitted reluctantly.

"Eh?" It seemed to only make Ruka more worried. "Rei, are you sure you shouldn't let Yuda heal you or anything?"

"He can't heal exhaustion, and that's all that this is." A bit surprised, the purple-haired angel returned his gaze. "I promised to lie down later, didn't I?"

"Well…" A soft chuckle. "That's what worried me. You never agree on such things, unless you really feel ill."

"Mmh, I guess you're right." Slowly, they walked to an open spot in the middle of the garden, while Gai and Goh also came outside. In the doorway, Kira and Maya watched them leaving, both with a concerned look on their faces.

Being transported to Heaven made Rei feel a bit dizzy, but Ruka managed to keep him on his feet by grabbing his arm. "Rei?"

"I'm fine," Rei replied quickly, before they walked through the hallway to a large door. The slender angel felt his heartbeat speeding up a bit, suddenly scared. But they had done the quest, so everything would be okay, right? Still, he couldn't help but to practically shoulder against shoulder with Ruka, needing to be reassured by the feeling of his angel being close to him.

The conversation with Zeus, though, was short. They were allowed to stay together, but if any of them would ever oppose to Zeus' decisions again, all six of them would be banned from Heaven. Rei could barely follow the conversation, his head throbbing and barely able to stop himself from trembling. It wasn't until Shin gently hinted him to walk out of the room, that he realized the conversation was over. Dizzily, he grabbed Shin's shoulder to steady himself when he almost tripped over the doorstep.

"Rei?" Ruka whispered worriedly, not wanting to make his beloved one seem weak while they were in Zeus' castle. He couldn't help but to ask, though. Rei only smiled faintly at him, his face obviously pale. Carefully, the silver-haired angel moved closer and took his hand. "Rei, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm just tired, and my headache is getting a bit worse. I'll be fine once I've rested for a while, okay?" Another faint smile. "Don't worry so much."

"Rei…" Remembering there were still other angels around who weren't part of their group of friends, Ruka went quiet. He did keep holding Rei's hand, though, sensing that the other angel would collapse if he'd let go. From this close, he could see pain in his beloved one's eyes. Damn, what if Rei were really ill? What if it were his fault somehow? Him nearly dying had brought a lot of stress on the purple-haired angel, and what they did last night couldn't have done it any good either. And…

"Don't worry, and don't feel guilty," Rei interrupted Ruka's thoughts. "Please, I don't want you to feel bad."

"I don't want you to feel bad either, that's why I'm worried," Ruka managed to reply, just before they got transported back to their house on Earth. "Rei?" As soon as they were back there, standing in the backyard, he felt his beloved one losing his balance, practically collapsing against Ruka. "Rei, you're going to bed right now!"

"Nng…" The purple-haired angel let out a pained moan, his face against Ruka's collarbone. "F-feel sick…"

"That's why you have to get to bed!" Ruka responded.

"N-no… I mean…" Letting out a choked gasp, he covered his mouth with his hands. "Please… Ruka…"

Suddenly, the crimson eyed angel understood what Rei meant to ask, and hurriedly carried his angel to the nearest bathroom. Just in time for Rei to dump his breakfast in the toilet. "Calm down," Ruka tried to comfort him, even though he was nearly trembling from worry himself. Rei's entire body shook from vomiting, tears running down his pale cheeks. When he was finally done, he slumped backwards into Ruka's arms.

"S-sorry," he groaned. "I didn't mean to get sick." Biting his lower lip, he tried to sit up, but couldn't gather the strength to do so. "W-why do I always have to be such a weakling?" Feeling how angry Rei was with himself, Ruka couldn't think of anything to make him feel better. Instead, he turned a bit to get some paper towels to clean Rei's face, but Shin already handed him some. Surprised he hadn't noticed him coming in, he thanked the blue haired angel, and gently wiped Rei's beautiful face.

"Rei? Why do you think you're a weakling?" Shin asked softly, while squeezing Rei's left hand to get his attention.

"B-because none of you guys got sick or anything," Rei whispered, staring at the floor. "Not even you, while we are in almost the same situation." They both had almost lost their beloved ones twice, once when Ruka and Yuda had gotten banned, and once when the two had almost died. Ruka couldn't help but to feel a sharp pang of guilt.

"But I've been asleep throughout most of the last part of the quest," Shin replied. "I don't think that it was just having to reverse time, that weakened me so much. Rei, you're stronger than I am. I collapsed halfway through the journey, but you held out until it was completely done." A bit unsure, Rei looked at him. "You shouldn't pull yourself down so much."

"R-really?" Rei asked, probably suspecting his friend of only saying that to cheer him up.

"Really," Shin nodded. "Just look at the facts."

Finally, Rei managed to smile a bit. "Thanks for making me feel better." Slowly, he tried again to sit up, and this time he managed to do it. Trembling a bit, he looked back at Ruka. "Could you help me upstairs? My head still hurts."

Gently, Ruka felt at Rei's forehead. "No wonder, you're burning up," he remarked worriedly. "I'll carry you."

"I can walk," Rei argued.

"I can't force myself to let you walk, and you're not in any shape to fight me off." That made the purple-haired angel chuckle softly, and carefully Ruka took him into his arms before lifting him off the floor. "Shin, could you get a wet towel? We need to get his fever down."

Shin nodded, and Ruka carried Rei to his bedroom. After quickly changing his angel's clothes into nightwear, he laid him down and watched Rei crawl deeper underneath the covers. "So cold," he complained, shivering deeply.

"That's just because of the fever," Ruka responded. "I'll get you an extra blanket, okay?"

"Mmh…" A soft groan. "I hate being sick."

Ruka couldn't stop himself from chuckling softly. "Well, I don't think anyone likes it. Either way, just rest for a while, and you'll get well soon."

Rei only nodded and closed his eyes, not even looking up when Shin entered the room with a towel and a bowl of cold water. "Should we take turns on staying with him tonight? The fever seems pretty high."

"Okay," Ruka agreed. "For now, I'll stay with him." Noticing how worriedly Shin was watching Rei, he added; "You're free to stay too, if you want. But I think Yuda is waiting for you."

The blue-haired angel nodded. "I'll go back to him first, but I'll come by again later if that's all right."

Ruka nodded in agreement, and watched how Shin carefully placed the towel on Rei forehead. The purple-haired angel sighed gratefully, but appeared to be asleep already. After Shin had left, Ruka silently sat down on the edge of his beloved one's bed, gently caressing Rei's silky hair. Even though he looked pale and exhausted, he still seemed happier than he had a few hours earlier, before they had officially ended their quest.

Well, that made sense. The past months had been horrible, but now that was finally over. Rei didn't have to be scared anymore that Ruka would be taken away from him, without being able to fight it. They could finally be together again, and that felt more than great. Letting out a sigh, Ruka leaned over his beloved one, and wrapped his arms around him. Feeling Rei breath steadily against him, feeling the warmth of his angel's smooth skin, knowing he would never have to give this up again… That made every bit of pain and fear they had gone through, worth it.

"I love you, Rei. I always be here to love you."

* * *

**And so ends this story :D But don't worry, the first chapter of the sequel be here soon ;)**


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